Prince George Real Estate Blog

How to Choose Paint Colour

2012-01-26T15:10:00.000-08:00

Pairing the right paint color and lighting can have magical results. But finding that perfect combination can be tricky. To help understand the relationship, we spoke with four experts; Donald Kaufman, color consultant and founder of Donald Kaufman Color; Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute; Eve Ashcraft, color consultant and founder of Eve Ashcraft Studio; and Carl Minchew, director of product development at Benjamin Moore

Geography
“The first thing we do when we visit a home is look at the windows,” says Kaufman. “Which way are they facing and which way is north?” In the US, if you have a south-facing room you’ll have sun most of the day; the opposite is true if you’re in a room with windows that only face north. In rooms without direct sunlight—due to location, direction, surrounding, or weather conditions—experts recommend warmer colors to brighten the room. If you live in a place like South Florida where there’s abundant sunshine, you’re going to want to look at cooler tones to balance the intense light from outside.

Utility
“Ask yourself what the room is for,” says Ashcraft. “I had a client who only used one of his rooms at night so he wanted it to look best then. This made all the difference in picking out the right color.” In this case, a warm chocolate brown. “It looked great with lamplight,” says Ashcraft. In contrast, if the room you’re painting is primarily used in the morning—say, a breakfast nook—the light is going to be clear and warm, which is why neutrals and whites look crisp If the room is cool and dark, add warmth. If it’s bright and illuminated, go neutral or add cool colors with blue undertones.

Context
What else is in the room? If you have a rug—or another large piece—in a dark purple or brown, it will change how every other hue in the room appears. The way light reflects from one color to the next has a strong impact. “The relationship between colors in a room is important,” says Minchew. “You should consider all the large elements in the room and find a color that cooperates, something that will make everything look better.” The bulbs in your lamps and overhead lighting will also change the way a color looks on the wall. “People are using more compact fluorescent light bulbs,” adds Minchew, “and while CFLs have gotten better, warmer, with better color rendition, people still see a difference. Sometimes a color goes redder, other times a color becomes more green.” Your best bet is to upgrade as many bulbs in the house as you can before you choose a new color. Then, bring in samples of color and pick out what you think looks best under these conditions.

Trial and Error
For the best outcome, all our experts agreed on the same solution: get a small sample so can try out the color before committing. “Get a large poster board and paint it the color you’re considering,” says Eiseman. “Live with it for several days. Literally move it around the room to see how the light affects it. Put it near different light bulbs, close to and far from the windows.” Kaufman recommends painting a six-foot wide swath of wall as a test. Ashcraft goes further: “Paint a whole wall. It’s the best insurance that you’ll be happy with the color later on.”
In the end, trust your eyes, says Minchew. “Judging color isn’t something you need to be highly trained for. Just look at the swatch or sample on the wall throughout the day and evening. If it’s working for you, then that’s all there is to it. If you see it and you like it, you should be fine.”

From: How to Choose Paint Color on ELLEDECOR.com

Open House - 3020 Christopher Cres

2012-01-26T11:58:00.000-08:00

Open House - Sunday, January 29 from 12:30 - 2 pm

Please visit this wonderful family home in Pinecone subdivision. It features 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a huge kitchen.

How BC Assessment Evaluates Your Property

2012-01-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

Investment Duplex with suite

2012-01-23T12:12:00.000-08:00

$264,900
MLS # N214335
1459-1461 Nation Cres

Side by side duplex featuring 3 bedrooms up with separate 2 bedroom suite in basement (unauthorized). New roof, upgraded electrical to 200 amp with new panels and meters, new furnace and HWT. Located on bus routes to CNC and UNBC. Close to recreation and shopping. Good investment opportunity.

You Know its Cold When.....

2012-01-19T10:02:00.001-08:00

#10 - The warmest jackets and boots are dug out of the closet

#9 - After saying goodbye to someone it is followed with a "Keep warm!"

#8 - You just want to stay in bed under the covers

#7 - The house begins to make loud cracking and popping sounds

#6 - You can't close or lock the outside doors because of the frost surrounding them

#5 - The dog doesn't want to go outside

#4 - The extension cord you use to plug in the car is frozen stiff (to heat the oil pan or the car won't start)

#3 - The ice is forming inside your windows

#2 - You have to bring some of the animals into the heated garage from the uninsulated barn

#1 - The eggs you pull out of the nesting boxes are frozen solid (and the coop is insulated and has a heat lamp)

And You Thought You had it Cold

2012-01-18T16:42:00.000-08:00

Can you read that? -37c!!!! (that is -34.6 F)

But, being Prince Geoge, BC life goes on as usual. We just put on our heavier coats and plug in the vehicles overnight. Schools, shops and businesses remain open.

I did bring our geese and ducks into the heated garage last night as it was a little too cold for them in the uninsulated barn.

I can say that our winters have become much milder over the years, so it comes as somewhat of a surprise to get such low temps again.... but this is Prince George so we really should expect it.

Senior Support in Prince George

2012-01-17T13:05:00.000-08:00

Senior Citizen have always been special to me and I like to support worthwhile efforts for the seniors in our city.

Recently I was made aware of a program hosted by the Prince George Council of Seniors. It is a senior peer support program which is free and confidential. If you, or a senior citizen you know, requires some emotional support or just someone to listen, please call them to set up an appointment

For those of you who do not know, I used to work for Veterans Affairs Canada as a Program Support Clerk and also as a Counsellor. It gave me a great insight into the needs of seniors and from there I was one of the founding partners in Country Acres Seniors Community - we designed, built and managed the first private senior citizen's residence in Prince George.

I also published "The Senior Side" newspaper for two years in Prince George and later expanded the publication to central and northern BC. During this time I was also involved with the International Year of Older Persons in 1999.

So, as you can see, I'm very interested in things to do with older people in our community.

Programmable Thermostat Can Save You Money

2012-01-12T18:29:00.000-08:00

Just as you shut off lights and appliances when you're not using them, you can save energy by reducing the amount of time your furnace or air conditioner are on while you are away and during overnight hours.

According to a study done at the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology, turning the thermostat setting down a few degrees during the winter when you leave the house or go to sleep can result in energy savings of 5% to 15%. In the summer when the air conditioner is running, setting the thermostat at 24°C (75° F) or more when the house is empty also brings significant energy savings.

A conventional thermostat simply regulates house heating or cooling at a set temperature. For instance, in the winter, if you set the thermostat to 21°C (70°F), it will activate the heating system when the house temperature drops below 21°C and will shut the system off when the house air warms up past 21°C. But a device called a programmable thermostat contains an electronic clock which can be set to automatically change the temperature settings throughout the day and help reduce your overall household energy consumption.

In winter, a programmable thermostat can be set to automatically turn down the temperature setting at night, when you are asleep, or during the day, when you are at work. It can also return the temperature to a more comfortable level before you wake up or arrive home from work. In summer, the programmable thermostat can be used to set the temperature and operating time periods for an air conditioning system.

Although you could simply use a standard thermostat to set your house temperatures lower in winter or higher in summer during times when the house is unoccupied and achieve similar energy savings, a programmable thermostat is more convenient.

Depending on the season, dropping or increasing the temperature by a couple of degrees can lead to energy saving with little risk of any problems.

Some householders, in an effort to maximize their energy savings, reduce temperatures 4 to 6 degrees. However, temperature differences this large may be uncomfortable for some who wake up at night or return home early before the time the thermostat resets to 21°C.

Try different settings and see what works best for you. Keep in mind that it takes some time for a furnace to get house temperatures back to the set point temperature so set your programmable thermostat so the furnace is turned on before you wake up and arrive home.

In winter, a setback of 4 to 6 degrees can increase the possibility of high humidity in the home. Cool air can hold less moisture than warm air, so the relative humidity (RH) increases as the air cools. This can lead to condensation on windows and walls (for instance, in closets or behind furniture). Watch for signs of condensation and wipe up water and damp surfaces immediately.

You may have to adjust the setting on your programmable thermostat to keep your house warmer if moisture problems persist.

Another potential problem associated with using thermostat setback settings is a sustained lack of air circulation for forced air systems when the system is not operating.

For houses where bedroom doors are kept closed, this could lead to stuffiness in those rooms and a lack of fresh air.

Many programmable thermostats have a setting that allows you to operate your furnace fan continuously and this helps to keep the air circulating through your house.

A programmable thermostat is not for everyone or every house.

While many houses will not experience significant problems with the use of programmable thermostats, there will be some houses more at risk.

But if your house is in good condition, does not have any moisture problems and you have a fairly regular schedule, a programmable thermostat can offer convenience and may help reduce your energy costs.

To help you learn more about programmable thermostats, CMHC has an About Your House fact sheet available called Setback Thermostats. Download your free copy at www.cmhc.ca or call 1-800-668-2642.

By Mark Salerno
Special to QMI Agency
***

Mark Salerno is the Corporate Representative for the Greater Toronto Area at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

You can reach him at 416-218-3479 or e-mail him at msalerno@cmhc.ca

Life in Perfect Balance in Prince George, BC

2012-01-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

Prince George has all the amenities of a big city with a small town feel. Only minutes to work or play from anywhere in the city gives you "Life in Perfect Balance" and with affordable housing and wilderness at your backdoor you can enjoy a great lifestyle with four seasons of recreational activity within minutes of your home.

The Corless House - Prince George Historical House Series

2012-01-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

I thought I would do a series about some of the heritage and historical homes and buildings in Prince George.

The first is the Corless House located at 1276 Fourth Avenue. I thought I would begin here as most residents and visitors will recognize this house located downtown which currently houses the JJ Springer shop.

Photo credit: Bob_2006 on Flickr

The house was built in 1917 by Charlie Sinclair then, with a Soldier's Settlement Loan of $3000 was purchased the by Jack Duncan. An addition to the rear of the home was built by Dick Corless, and the Corless family resided in the home from 1919 to 1947.

Dick Corless was a businessman and worked at various times as a car dealer, undertaker, coffin maker and furniture dealer.

Over the years the building has housed various businesses such as a dress shop and real estate office, but it still shows it original character through the symmetrical facade, shingle siding, and the roof pediment over the small upper window.

Testimonial

2012-01-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

From Sharlene Bunce:

Very professional and very knowledgeable as this was the first time using a Realtor.

Thanks Sharlene! It was lots of fun finding you a new home!

5 Green Home Trends for 2012

2012-01-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

Green is here to stay! Here’s what to watch for in the next few months.With 2011 quickly drawing to a close, it’s time to take out our crystal ball and conjure up the green home trends that will shape our choices in the coming year. Many of these trends will sound very familiar; some have evolved out of economic necessity, while others exist thanks to great advances in technology. Whether you already own a home or plan to build a new one, there’s bound to be at least one trend that appeals to you.
Renovation Nation
It’s not news that home construction has been on the decline for the past few years (thanks a lot, economy!), but that might not be an entirely bad thing. In many cases, it makes more sense financially to renovate an existing home rather than start from scratch, and renovation actually can be a green move. Renovations save on building materials and waste and also preserve undeveloped natural land.If you are a homeowner, invest in energy-efficient upgrades that reduce your home’s heating and cooling loads by adding more insulation in the walls, roof, and floors; sealing up leaks or installing new windows; and upgrading old HVAC equipment with Energy Star-rated models. If your home’s layout is no longer meeting your family’s needs, get in on the trend of building an “accessory dwelling unit,” an additional small structure that serves as a mother-in-law-suite, studio, office or extra storage space.

Smaller Footprints
When the opportunity does present itself to build anew, most of us will be building smaller in 2012. Less square footage means less cost for materials and labor, as well as less energy to heat and cool the finished spaces. It’s a win–win and – we promise! – a smaller home doesn’t have to mean a cramped home. Really think about the way you live: do you need that giant master bedroom suite in which you never spend time? Isn’t a combo family room/kitchen/dining area a lot cozier and more functional than separate, more formal spaces?According to a survey of builders conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), new homes will average 2,152 sq. ft. in size by 2015, compared with a peak of 2,521 sq. ft. in 2007. That is still more than enough space for most of us!

Net ZeroFor those overachievers out there, just saving energy is not enough. Why not go all the way and make your home net-zero? A net-zero home generates as much energy as it consumes, netting out at, well, zero energy. Most net-zero homes achieve this designation by combining a variety of passive and active design strategies. Passive strategies include thoughtfully placed windows that utilize or prevent solar heat gains, plenty of natural ventilation, and well insulated walls. These tactics reduce energy use, but when it comes to producing energy, it’s necessary to install some sort of renewable energy system such as solar panels, geothermal wells, or even wind turbines.Net-zero water is another term you’ll probably hear more in 2012. Not only should you replace outdated plumbing fixtures with newer, more efficient versions (and install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators), but consider a gray-water reuse and/or rainwater collection system. Many municipalities, especially those located in arid climates, are taxed to the max, what with dwindling water supplies.

Energy Monitoring Systems
Programmable thermostats were a genius invention, but technology now allows us to monitor our energy use more comprehensively and in real time. These new gadgets tie into your home’s circuit and allow you to examine the data on a screen or even from the convenience of your laptop or smartphone. The premise is that the more aware you are of your energy consumption, the more ways you can find to cut back. It’s like challenging yourself to a fun game! The prize? Lower electric bills and, of course, the peace of mind that you are doing your part to help the environment. Popular models include The Energy Detective (TED), GE Nucleus, and the eMonitor by Powerhouse Dynamics. More models are becoming available all the time, so expect prices to drop in the coming year.

LEDs
By now you’ve accepted that incandescent bulbs, despite their warm glow, aren’t very energy-efficient. Compact fluorescents (CFLs) have been touted as the best replacement. However, LEDs use even less energy than CFLs and have much longer lifetimes. Although LEDs were previously dismissed for residential use because of their many drawbacks – cool color temperatures, low lighting output and high price – they’ve come a long way in recent years. That $20 bulb now costs closer to $15, and you can expect prices to continue to drop. We probably won’t be lighting our entire homes with LEDs by the end of 2012, but we can start incorporating them and watch our bills drop accordingly.

Watch for these green trends to continue throughout 2012 and beyond and keep your eyes open for trends that no one has spotted yet!
From: 5 Green Home Trends for 2012 - Buildipedia.com
Written by Murrye Bernard

Open House Sunday January 8th

2012-01-06T12:01:00.000-08:00

Open House, Sunday January 8th, 3-4pm

2309 Glenngarry Road
$243,900

Great 4 bedroom, 2 bath family home in Hart Highlands on a level 1/3 acre lot. This home is in move in condition with fresh paint, new counter tops and back splash, new siding and eavestroughing. The basement features a large family room, office with built in desk and shelving, and bright laundry room. A large garage is perfect to park your truck, car and still have workshop or storage room. The backyard has raised flower beds, pond with small stream and free standing deck with fire pit. Centrally located and within walking distance to all levels of schools, community centre, shopping and only a block away from the ski hill.

December 2011 Economic Update

2012-01-06T11:49:00.000-08:00

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has completed the 7th report in a series1 assessing the impacts associated with the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The most recent report provides a summary of the impacts of the 2010 Olympic Games through to the end of 2010 and an overview of the key findings of previous reports, which considered economic development in relation to communities, Canadian business, global markets and federal and provincial governments.
Prince George was profiled within the report as an example of how communities beyond Vancouver and Whistler were able to leverage opportunities from the Games, some of which resulted in significant legacy benefits. For Prince George, these benefits included the Northern Sport Centre, the building of community spirit and an enhanced ability to take on larger projects.

Leadership of Prince George’s support for the Olympic Games was jointly held by Mayor and City Council, Initiatives Prince George, UNBC and the Spirit of BC Committee. The partnership worked diligently to ensure that the city benefited from community programming and funding opportunities created by the province hosting the Games. The PwC report effectively summarizes the results of these efforts.

The partnership’s ‘Five Rings of Opportunity’ strategy identified a number of project areas, which included:
• Development of a sport centre: This strategy resulted in the construction of the $30M Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre, funded jointly by the Province of BC, City of PG and UNBC.
• Development of PG as a destination for sport tourism: The marketing of Prince George as a destination for pre-games training led to the successful attraction of the Road to the Roar curling competition. The city also became aware of its capacity to host large sporting events.
• Procurement opportunities: Through the 2010 Commerce Centre, a number of program workshops were held in Prince George, which resulted in several local businesses being awarded contracts with VANOC. Prince George also participated in networking and business development at the BC Showcase in Vancouver during the Games.
• Destination tourism: Prince George was a beneficiary of the provincial marketing campaign to increase exposure for all parts of the province, reinforcing and creating awareness among potential visitors to the city.
• Media and communications: Prince George utilized available provincial funding to build capacity to support tourism and marketing campaigns by developing a photo and video databank.

The successful results of the ‘Five Rings of Opportunity’ strategy have post-Games significance for the community. The Northern Sport Centre was an important component of Prince George’s successful bid to host the Canada Winter Games in 2015, and the city’s successful hosting of pre-games training and other major sporting events has solidified Prince George’s reputation as a host community, and has raised the profile of the city as a destination for indoor and outdoor tourist activities.

Between February 12th and March 1st, 2015, Prince George and the region will host 2,800 athletes, up to 6,000 volunteers, 1,300 officials, media and medical professionals, and thousands of visitors for the 2015 Canada Winter Games. The event will be the largest multi-sporting event to ever be held in Prince George and is projected to create an economic impact of $70-$90M for Prince George while building champions and inspiring young athletes. The Games will have considerable long-term benefits for the community, with new legacy projects and an enhanced national profile paving the way for future economic opportunities for Prince George and the region.

Economic Statistics

Employment
There were 49,400 persons employed in Prince George in November, down 800 persons (1.6%) from the previous month. The number of persons engaged in the labour force declined slightly (2.0%; 1,100 persons). The larger decline in the labour force relative to the decline in employment led the number of unemployed persons to decrease slightly (7.7%; 300 persons); as a result, the unemployment rate decreased 0.4% to 6.8%. In BC, the number of persons employed decreased by 0.3% and those in the labour force increased 0.2%; as a result, the number of unemployed persons increased by 6.8%. Across Canada, the number of employed persons declined by 0.1% while the number in the labour force was relatively unchanged. This led the number of unemployed persons to increase by 1.5%. As a result, the unemployment rate increased by 0.4% (to 7.0%) in BC and 0.1% (to 7.4%) in Canada. Prince George’s working age population was unchanged last month and the employment rate decreased 1.1% to 69.4%; employment rates declined 0.2% and 0.2% (to 60.2% and 61.6%, respectively) in BC and Canada.
(Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey)

Real Estate
There were 68 single family homes sold in Prince George last month, 5 more than in November 2010, with an average price of $247,861 (3.0% higher than in the same month last year). Year-to-date, the average price of a single family home was up 1.8% compared to the first eleven months of 2010; unit sales were up 5.8%. Comparatively, average prices were up 11.9% and 7.5% in BC and Canada, respectively, year-to-date; unit sales were up 3.2% in BC and 2.1% across Canada, as of the end of November.
(Source: BC Northern Real Estate Board; Canadian Real Estate Association)

Housing Construction
There were 7 housing starts in Prince George in November (all single family dwelling units), compared to 17 starts (9 single family and 8 multiple dwelling units)in the same month last year. Year-to-date starts at the end of November were down 27.0%, relative to the first eleven months of 2010. Comparatively, housing starts were up 6.7% and 2.8%, respectively, in BC and across Canada year-to-date. There were 22 residential units completed in the city in November (all single family units), 6 fewer than in the same month in 2010, and there were 162 housing units under construction (125 single family and 37 multiple dwelling units); 29.6% fewer than in November 2010.
(Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Building Permits
The City of Prince George issued 110 building permits valued at $31.0M in
October and November, up 368.0% compared to the same period last year.
Institutional building permits accounted for 73.4% of the total value of permits issued in the city over the last two months, with the $22.7M permit for the new RCMP detachment making up the majority of this category. Residential permits made up 15.6% of permits issued, with 16 new single
family dwellings making up more than three-quarters of this category. The
Commercial and Industrial categories accounted for 8.1% and 2.9%, respectively, of the value of permits issued in October and November. At the end of November, the year-to-date value of permits issued in the city was down 25.9%. Comparatively, year-to-date permits were down 10.8%
provincially and 1.1% nationally at the end of October.
(Source: City of Prince George; Statistics Canada)

Business Licenses
The City of Prince George issued 25 business licenses in November (18 new
licenses2 and 7 renewals). 1 of the new licenses issued was a result of a change of location.
(Source: City of Prince George)

Airport Passenger Volumes
36,313 passengers passed through the Prince George airport in November, 14.0% more than in November 2010. Year-to-date, passenger traffic through the airport was up 2.8% compared to the first eleven months of last year. Comparatively, traffic through the Vancouver airport was up 1.2%, year-to-date, at the end of October.
(Source: Prince George Airport Authority; Vancouver Airport Authority)

1. http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/reports/olympics.html
2. New business licenses are issued when a new business is established, when a business is re-established after not operating for a period of time and when a business changes ownership or relocates.

From Initiatives Prince George

New Price for 2309 Glenngarry Road

2011-11-15T13:54:00.000-08:00

Family home in Hart HighlandsNEW PRICE $243,900

Privacy During Home Showing

2011-11-10T11:52:00.000-08:00

While Your Home is on the Market - Protecting Your Privacy
What Does Your Home Disclose About You?

By Elizabeth Weintraub, About.com Guide

Are your secrets safe? Before a home goes on the market and home buyers start to traipse through, savvy sellers will relocate confidential information. Even so, you might be astonished to learn what home buyers can figure out about you.
Private Documents

Is it snooping to open a drawer?
Not if the drawer is part of a built-in such as a kitchen cabinet or a dining room china cabinet. Buyers can innocently tug on a drawer to inspect its construction or depth and find important documents that you might not intend for anyone to see.I once opened a drawer and discovered the seller's net sheet sitting on top of her comparative market analysis, in plain view. It clearly indicated a lower price was expected, so you can guess what my buyer offered.
Don't leave mail where anybody can find it.
Lots of sellers leave piles of opened mail neatly stacked on the kitchen counter. Buyers could find out how much you owe department stores or other credit cards. They can tell if you're late on your mortgage payments or if the I.R.S. is after you. Heaven forbid should you file bankruptcy or be sued and leave those documents on the table, but sellers do it. They must believe that buyers will not read someone else's personal mail, even when that mail is taped to the refrigerator door, begging to be read.I've also shown vacant homes where the mail was tossed all over the floor in the entryway. Neither the seller nor his listing agent bothered to stop by and pick up the mail. It wasn't hard to figure out that much of the mail contained collection notices. If a buyer was armed with that information, guess what price the buyer would be thinking about. It wouldn't be list price.

Remove Diplomas and Wedding Photos from Walls
Notwithstanding that all personal items should be removed, sometimes sellers overlook the obvious and leave diplomas on the wall. People form biases and can carry a bias too far. For example, the seller might be a lawyer, and there are buyers who might not feel comfortable buying a home from a lawyer. For whatever reason. Diplomas also give away a seller's age or a close estimate. If a buyer sees a recent medical diploma, for example, the buyer might assume the seller is saddled with student loans and needs to sell to pay them off.
Wedding photos might give away the seller's religion, as do certain religious artifacts left in the home. Buyers can be prejudiced. Don't give buyers a way to form any opinion about you at all. Don't let buyers form ideas about you from the type of music you like or the literature you read.
Contents of Closets
Often sellers who are separating or getting divorced feel a lot of pressure to sell quickly, especially if the partner who remains in the home cannot afford to continue to maintain it. But that is not information most sellers want to share with buyers. Yet they do. They may as well toss their wallet out the car window doing 80 on the freeway.
They do this by hanging either all men's or all women's clothing in the closet. Was it a heterosexual or bisexual involvement? Who cares? It's nobody's business, really, if a seller is dissolving a relationship. But once a buyer finds out a seller desperately needs to sell, the buyer won't make an offer anywhere near list price. So don't leave any telltale clues around that could give away your motivation to sell.
Before you put your home in the market, please, prep it; empty out drawers, stage closets and pack up anything remotely personal. If your house speaks to a buyer about you, it's probably saying the wrong thing.

Testimonial - I can work this hard for you too!

2011-11-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

This spring I was faced with moving my family to Prince George. Our first step was to find a new house and some friends suggested Uta Marshall at Team Powerhouse Realty. She was very helpful right from the very first phone call. She immediately sent us some information about the community and the neighbourhoods. She then worked with us to determine exactly what we were looking for. On our first house hunting trip, Uta was well prepared and she showed us a beautiful group of homes that would meet our needs. Once we were ready to make an offer, Uta provided very professional services and great advice. We ended up with a great home, in a great neighbourhood at a great price! All in all...we were very satisfied with Uta and Team Powerhouse.

Mike Lorimer

Affordable Ness Lake Home

2011-10-31T10:35:00.000-07:00

24735 Nessview Road
MLS# N214321
$135,000

Affordable home offering peace and quiet on 1 acre at Ness Lake. Set on a cul-de-sac it is only one block from the lake and public boat launch. This cozy home has 3 bedrooms, a free standing gas fireplace in living room and large sundeck with southern exposure, newer windows, paint and flooring.

Winter Clothing Drive - November 5, 2011

2011-10-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

Apprehensive about Selling in the Winter? Don't Be!

2011-10-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

At this time of year I am often asked the same question, “Should I sell my house now or just wait until spring?”

Any season of the year can be a good time to sell, but there are actually many advantages to selling your home during the winter months. Below are some common misconceptions:

It is too cold; no one wants to look at houses in the snow: Serious buyers are willing to trek through the cold and snow to view homes. This means that the quality of potential buyers has increased over those ‘looking’ during the summer months.

No one is looking for houses in the winter time: This is plainly not true. There may be fewer people looking to buy. However, the ones who are looking are more serious. There may be fewer property visits during the cold months but the ones who are willing to drag their Realtor out in the winter must be pretty serious. Wouldn't you rather have less traffic if they are more serious buyers?
Another point to consider is that with lower inventory during this time of year it means less competition in the housing market. During the spring there are going to be a lot more homes to compete against. I would rather be a big fish in a smaller pond, than a small fish in a big pond full of other fish.

I can't decorate my house for Christmas: I disagree. I say, don't just put out your Christmas decorations, go all out. Make your home the best decorated house on the block. A house can look truly beautiful, warm, and inviting during the holidays. In case you didn’t know, many buyers desire to be in a new home by Christmas.
(Another idea would be to put some lights around the ‘For Sale’ sign too.)

I like to invite friends over for holiday parties: I can't do that if my house is for sale. Are you kidding? This is the perfect opportunity to showcase your home to a large group of people. Don't just invite a few people over - host the Christmas party. Your friends might not be in the market to buy a home, but they many know people who are looking and are ready to buy.

If we don't sell the house over the winter, it will appear stale in the spring: This might be true but there are tricks you can do to lessen the impact. The most effective change you can make is to adjust the price. If the house was listed all winter and it didn't sell, the chances are the price is too high. Have a price adjustment, even if it is just a small one. Also, update the listing photos. Most likely the original pictures were taken with leafless trees and plants without flowers. Your house will look drastically different with some fresh blossoms and updated landscaping.

If you want to sell your home during the winter feel free to give me a call at 250-981-5580 for a market analysis and consultation.

Western Investors Names 10 top Towns for Real Estate Investors

2011-10-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

Western Investor named Surrey as the No. 1 centre for Western Canadian real estate investors in its first annual Top Ten Towns, which will be published in the November edition of the leading commercial real estate publication.
Surrey took the top award because of an innovative incentive program for developers, a civic initiative to cut red tape for real estate developers and builders and because more homes are being built in the city than in any other B.C. municipality, including the larger City of Vancouver. Surrey has also promoted a new city centre that has resulted in a number of large private and public real estate projects breaking ground.

Calgary took the No. 2 position in the top 10 rankings, primarily because of the stellar performance of its office sector this year. Other cities named, in order of ranking, are: Saskatoon, Kelowna, Red Deer, Fort McMurray/Wood Buffalo, Brandon, Prince George, Comox and Langley Township.

"It was hard to choose 10 great cities in Western Canada for real estate opportunities," said Western Investor editor Frank O'Brien. "We believe our selection this year profiles cities that have the greatest potential for real estate investors in 2011, and going into next year."

From Western Investor
Thursday, 13 October 2011 19:08

Family Home in Hart Highlands - 2309 Glenngarry Rd

2011-10-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

MLS# N214094
$249,900

Great 4 bedroom, 2 bath family home in Hart Highlands on a level 1/3 acre lot. This home is in move in condition with fresh paint, new counter tops and back splash, new siding and eavestroughing. The basement features a large family room, office with built in desk and shelving, and bright laundry room. A large garage is perfect to park your truck, car and still have workshop or storage room. The backyard has raised flower beds, pond with small stream and free standing deck with fire pit. Centrally located and within walking distance to all levels of schools, community centre, shopping and only a block away from the ski hill.

Call Rebecca Worthington to view 250-961-4508

Lumber exports booming in 2011

2011-10-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

Charelle EVELYN
Citizen staff

Lumber exports to China have already surpassed last year's final total, according to trade data released by Statistics Canada.

This means British Columbia has broken another record, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell announced Sunday.

Lumber exports over the first eight months of the year total $746 million. For all of 2010, B.C.'s lumber exports into China were worth $687 million.

"We've now exceeded for the year, three billion board feet of sales into China," said Bell. "Last year, we did 2.9 [billion board feet] for the entire year and the total value of those sales is just under three-quarters of a billion dollars."

Bell said based on the output of an average saw mill in the interior, such as Carrier, the province has shipped the entire production for a dozen mills for the entire year.

"I think it's great news in terms of stability and jobs for the people in and around the forest-dependent communities like Prince George, Vanderhoof and Mackenzie," Bell told The Citizen. "Having a new market like China that is taking such a substantive quantity of lumber really is giving us stability in terms of the overall market picture."

The record number of lumber exports have resulted in thousands of jobs in the province and the re-opening of mills in towns such as Ladysmith and Mackenzie.

B.C. is also breaking records with respect to overall merchandise exports to China and Hong Kong. Over the first eight months of 2011, overall exports are worth almost $3.4 billion - an increase of more than $1 billion over the same period in 2010.

Bell told the Citizen that not only is the trade relationship with China very healthy, but markets in Korea and Taiwan are also doing very well.

Lumber exports to Korea up 26 per cent over the year to date in 2010, while those for Taiwan were up 37 per cent.

"So while they're not as big as China, they are taking substantial amount of lumber and when you add the two together, it'll be about the production of two saw mills," Bell said.

The minister will be accompanying Premier Christy Clark on a trade mission to Asia from Nov. 4 to 16 and on the way back, Bell said he will stop by Korea for the first time.

"[The province] has a small trade office in Korea already and we are looking at the potential of expanding that office," he said. "When you see numbers like this, it gives you a real sense that would be a good decision."

With the growth in Taiwan, which is currently serviced out of China-based offices, Bell said the province may want to also consider their options in building a stronger relationship with that country as well.

"It's not the kind of news you would expect to hear right now, given what's been going on in the global marketplace," said Bell. "There's lots of doom and gloom out there and when you see numbers like this, it shows British Columbia is really bucking the trend."

New Listing in Pinecone Subdivision

2011-10-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

Introducing 3020 Christopher Crescent$259,900
MLS# N213828

Beautifully maintained home in Pinecone subdivision features a huge kitchen with large island, eating area/familyroom plus a formal dining room. A bay window overlooks the backyard with garden and mature trees. A large sundeck is off the eating area/family room. This home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. The basement is fully finished with an OSBE and may be suiteable. The entire home is freshly painted in modern colours -all you have to do is move in! RV parking and double carport

August 2011 Economic Activity

2011-09-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

British Columbia’s export activity was quite robust over the first half of 2011,1 adding momentum to the relatively strong recovery in international shipments throughout 2010 and boding well for continued growth well into 2012 and beyond.

Between January and June of this year, the value of BC’s total exports increased by 13.7% compared to the first six months of 2010. Year-over-year exports to China accounted for the largest proportion of the overall increase, with 43.7% of the total increased value of exports destined for the Chinese market.

Exports to China were up 52.4% year-to-date at the end of June, increasing China’s share of total BC exports from 11.4% over the first half of 2010 to 15.3% over the same period in 2011. For the whole of 2010, China accounted for 14.0% of BC’s total exports, up significantly from only 3.9% in 2005; China’s proportion of total exports grew steadily between 2005 and 2010 as export values increased at an annual average of 26.5% over that time period.

Export increases to a number of other Asian countries have also been a factor in the growth in BC exports this year. South Korea and Japan accounted for 16.6% and 11.2% of the total increase in the value of the province’s exports. For the whole of 2010, exports to these countries were up 13.5% and 21.3%, respectively.

The growth in trade activity with Asian countries is a sharp contrast to changes in trade activity with the United States. Over the first half of the year, the value of BC’s exports to the US was stable, increasing at 0.1% compared to 2010. However, given the overall growth in the province’s exports, the share of total exports destined for the US market declined from 48.4% in the first six months of 2010 to 42.6% this year.

The decline in the proportion of total exports attributed to the United States reflects the continuation of a trend occurring since the US share of BC’s exports peaked at 69.8% in 2001. For the whole of 2010, the share of total exports destined for the US was only 45.9%, despite a slight rebound from 2009 levels. While the US continues to maintain its position as BC’s largest export market, this illustrates the province’s reduced dependence on the United States in light of stronger ties to other, growing markets.

Natural resource commodities produced in the Northern part of the province have led the increase in BC’s exports in 2011. Solid wood and pulp & paper products accounted for 29.9% of the increased value of exports in the first half of the year, while energy products (specifically coal) and metallic minerals products accounted for 35.5% and 10.8%, respectively. These year-to-date increases mirror strong growth in the export of these commodities in 2010.

The growth in resource commodity exports in 2011 has been shared among BC’s three largest export destinations: the United States, Japan and China. China accounted for most of the growth in exports of solid wood and pulp & paper products, more than making up for a continued decline in shipments of these products to the US.

Japan accounted for 76.8% of the growth in metallic mineral products exports, and while shipments of energy products to China and Japan were relatively flat, the value of coal shipments to the United States in the first six months of the year was nearly double the value in the same period last year.

The province’s strong resource commodity-based export growth indicates that the momentum building in the Northern BC economy is set to continue. The revitalization of the forest sector and the continued expansion of the mining industry across Northern BC are creating the conditions for continued economic growth and development for Prince George and communities throughout the North. The further strengthening of international trade relationships will solidify Prince George’s position as a knowledge-based resource economy, connected to the world.

Economic Statistics

Employment
There were 49,600 persons employed in Prince George in July, up 700 persons (1.4%) from the previous month and reaching the highest level in at least five years. The number of persons engaged in the labour force also increased (1,000 persons; 1.9%). As the number of labour force entrants was higher than the increase in employment, the number of unemployed persons increased by 12.9% and the unemployment rate rose slightly to 6.6%. In BC, the number of persons employed and in the labour force increased by 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively; with a larger increase in the labour force relative to employment, the number of unemployed persons increased by 1.0%. Across Canada, employment remained unchanged while the labour force declined by 0.2%, leading unemployment to decrease by 2.6%. As a result, the provincial unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.3% and the national rate declined by 0.2% (to 7.2%). Prince George’s working age population was unchanged again last month, and the employment rate increased 1.0% to 69.8%; the employment rate increased 0.1% in BC and decreased 0.1% in Canada (to 60.1% and 61.9%, respectively).
(Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey)

Real Estate
July was a relatively strong month for home sales activity in Prince George. There were 82 single family homes sold in the city last month, 26 more than in July 2010, with an average price of $241,096 (8.4% higher than in the same month last year). Year-to-date, the average price of a single family home was up 0.3% compared to the first seven months of 2010; unit sales were down 1.8%. Comparatively, average prices were up 15.3% and 8.3% in BC and Canada, respectively, year-to-date; unit sales were up 1.0% in BC and down 1.6% across Canada, as of the end of July.
(Source: BC Northern Real Estate Board; Canadian Real Estate Association)

Housing Construction
There were 9 housing starts in Prince George in July (8 single family dwellings and 1 apartment unit), compared to 18 starts (all single dwelling units) in the same month last year. Year-to-date starts at the end of July were down 5.2%, relative to the first seven months of 2010. Comparatively, housing starts were up 4.4% in BC and down 0.8% across Canada for the same period. There were 4 residential units completed in the city in July (all single family units), 1 more than in the same month in 2010, and there were 188 housing units under construction (115 single family and 73 multiple dwelling units); 20 fewer than in July 2010.
(Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Building Permits
The City of Prince George issued 72 building permits valued at $16.8M in July, down 67.1% compared to the same month last year. Institutional building permits accounted for 69.2% of the total value of permits issued in the city, due almost entirely to the $11M permit issued for the Kordyban Lodge being built in conjunction with the BC Cancer Agency’s Centre for the North. Residential permits accounted for 28.1% of the value of permits issued last month, with permits for 15 single family dwellings making up the majority of the category. Commercial building permits accounted for the remaining 2.8% of the permits issued. Year-to-date, the value of permits issued in the city was down 50.8% at the end of July. Comparatively, permits were up 1.1% provincially and down 1.3% nationally at the end of June.
(Source: City of Prince George; Statistics Canada)

Business Licenses
The City of Prince George issued 70 business licenses in July (33 new licenses2
(Source: City of Prince George) and 37 renewals). 5 of the new licenses issued were a result of existing business changing location.

Airport Passenger Volumes
30,487 passengers passed through the Prince George airport in July, 2.6% more than in July 2010. Year-to-date, passenger traffic through the airport was down 0.5% compared to the first seven months of last year. Comparatively, traffic through the Vancouver airport was up 0.6%, year-to-date, at the end of June.
(Source: Prince George Airport Authority; Vancouver Airport Authority)

1 International trade statistics are available from http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/bus_stat/trade.asp

From Initiatives Prince George

Building Lot in Western Acres

2011-09-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

9790 HARTMAN RD
MLS # N212927
$35,000

Very nice property in Western Acres. 1.52 acres heavily treed with lots of Spruce. This is the last lot within city limits on Hartman Road. The city indicates they will allow building with aprivate well and sewage system, so this could be the spot to build your new home. Buyer to verify and satisfy themselves in regard all aspects of well and septic.

OPEN HOUSE AT CLUCULZ LAKE

2011-09-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

SATURDAY, SEPT 10
1-3PM

46810 Velvet Road
$325,000

MLS# N206568

Year round lake living can be had in this wonderful home. This cozy house has 3 bedrooms, an open living plan, plenty of windows and in the winter you can cuddle up near the wood stove. Picture yourself relaxing in the 12x20 three season sun room and looking out over the lake, or take a soak in the hot tub on the deck. A gently sloping property and shallow 85' shoreline is idea for your family's water fun. This home has so much to offer and has been lovingly cared for. The bonus to this great property is the huge insulated and wired 24x36 shop with 9' door and 10' ceilings. The shop also features a 12x34 addition with separate entrance. Get yourself out to the lake and enjoy the good life! No archeological designations on site.

Testimonial

2011-08-29T11:22:00.001-07:00

We have bought and sold several properties over the years. Generally, all of the Realtors that we have worked with have been good. However, there is good and then there is exceptional. We would definitely classify Uta Marshall as exceptional. Uta made sure that we were completely satisfied with every aspect of our home sale and purchase . She went above and beyond as a realtor, even setting up appointments to view homes on a holiday weekend, and we would definitely recommend her to anyone that was looking to buy or sell a home.

Dave and Nicole Rowland

Beautiful Building Lot in the Country

2011-08-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Lot 41 Highplain RoadMLS #N211507
$72,777

Beautiful 6.02 acre building lot only 15 minutes from town and close to the Maggie May Golf Course. A driveway goes into the property to a cleared building site, and a second cleared site would be good for garage or garden area. Private 220' drilled well on property. Lot is nicely treed with not much pine. Gentle downhill slope from building site to roadway ditch for good drainage. Property backs onto Crown Land. Mobile homes allowed.

Northern British Columbia Poised for Record Growth

2011-08-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

July 25, 2011
The Journal of Commerce
JIM STIRLING
correspondent

Maybe Cinderella is finally going to the ball as a guest of honour.

"We believe this is the northern decade," said Rosalind Thorn, British Columbia Construction Association-North president in Prince George.

It's a good thought and it's pretty exciting.; Some compelling evidence is available to support the notion.

There are a number of major construction projects underway, others close to tendering and a raft proceeding through various required pre-construction stages.
It means that billions of dollars worth of construction is planned for the northern half of B.C.
The list is long.
Prince Rupert Port Corp.’s second phase expansion of the container port is anticipating a construction start, while at nearby Ridley Island, the coal export port facility is bursting at the seams, said Thorn.
Rio Tinto Alcan has confirmed a $2.5 billion rebuild of its aluminium smelter in Kitimat that will boost plant capacity to 420,000 tonnes per year. About $300 million will be spent on the project in 2011 and a 400 person camp for construction crews is already on site.
The Kitimat LNG consortium headed by Apache Canada is acquiring the old West Fraser Eurocan Pulp & Paper site for location of its $3 billion liquefied natural gas plant.
Rounding out Kitimat’s trio of mega projects, Enbridge Inc.’s 1,170 kilometre, $5.5 billion Northern Gateway oil pipeline, originating in Alberta, will have Kitimat as its western terminus if it receives permission to proceed.
The $404 million Northwest Transmission Line extension to Bob Quinn Lake on Highway 37 is proceeding. It could become the key to developing the northwest’s mineral potential.
“I believe there are about $6 billion worth of proposed mines ( in the northwest) that are in differing phases of the environmental assessment review process,” said Thorn.
Major run-of-the-river power generation proposals could become more feasible with closer proximity to the provincial power grid.
About $42 million has or is scheduled to be spent in 2011 on the Galore Creek, copper gold project adjacent to the Highway 37 corridor during the preparation of a pre-feasibility study due by the end of the year.
Construction began on the Galore Creek project in 2007, but was halted when cost estimates for the project more than doubled to $5 billion.
Thompson Creek Metals Company near Endako in central B.C. is continuing its upgrade on its molybdenum mine with about $400 million in expenditures.
The company is also the owner of the Mt. Milligan project, about 92 kilometres north of Fort St. James, where construction is gathering momentum on an open pit copper/gold mine with an estimated total cost of $1.3 billion.
Coal is king in B.C.’s eastern Rocky Mountain foothills with three producing mines in the Tumbler Ridge area. The region is under intense scrutiny for underground coal mine development by companies and steel makers in China.
“These and other projects really identify the need for electrical power,” noted Thorn.
The massive multi-billion dollar Site C dam project proposal on the Peace River near Fort St. John is being investigated as a solution.
The regional transportation infrastructure is being upgraded to support these developments.
Highway improvement projects are underway on Highway 97 north through the Pine Pass and south along the Cariboo Connector toward Vancouver. The Boundary Road project is underway to create a proposed logistics park near the Prince George Airport, while the CN container re-load facility in Prince George has reached its capacity in three years. It was expected to take 10 years, Thorn said.
Construction work is continuing on a new hospital in Fort St. John and a cancer clinic in Prince George. Tenders should be sought soon for a new $25 million RCMP headquarters in Prince George.
“We mustn’t forget the greening of the pulp and paper industry and projects there,” said Thorn.
A new wood pellet manufacturing plant near Burns Lake and major upgrade to the Husky Refinery in Prince George are other significant regional projects.
“The industrial sector has been very buoyant,” she said.
Thorn believes she knows why construction is booming in the north.
“It’s because of world commodity markets and our own geographic luck of being strategically well placed,” she said.
The demand for commodities is being driven by Asian markets.
Skilled labour shortages, however, are a concern.
“The pressure is on right now and (especially) in certain trades,” said Thorn. “We need the human resources and we’re gearing up training. We’re also looking outside the province to the U.S. and further afield.”

Home Prices Steady

2011-06-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

The average price of a single family home sold in Northern BC varied only slightly from the level seen a year earlier according to numbers from the BC Real Estate Association.

Homes in the region sold for an average $228,513 in May which is 0.4 percent higher than the average seen over the same month last year.

However, total units sold stood at 390 units, compared to 449 a year ago, translating into $89.1 million in sales, down 12.8 percent from $102.2 million in May 2010. Year-to-date, the average sale price now stands at $217,581 down 1.2 percent from 2010, and sales have reached 1,447, down 4.6 percent, for a dollar volume of $314.8, million down 5.7 percent.

From Prince George Citizen June 16/11

Economic Activity - May 2011

2011-06-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Prince George is becoming increasingly well-known as a preferred place to locate corporate service-based businesses. From the perspective of both business overhead costs and cost of living for employees, the city has a significant advantage over many major cities in Western Canada.

KPMG’s Competitive Alternatives 2010 found Prince George much more competitive from a cost perspective than other major Western Canadian cities. The city’s overall cost index for Corporate & IT Services, based on twenty-six location-sensitive cost factors, was 3.5, 2.2 and 4.0 points lower than Vancouver, Victoria and Edmonton, respectively.

On average, total annual operating costs in Prince George were found to be 5.9% lower than the other cities examined,1
yielding net after-tax profits of 20.7%, compared to between 18.2% and 19.3% in competing locations.

As labour costs do not differ significantly among locations, Prince George offers the greatest cost advantage for facility lease rates, with rates at less than one-third of rates in Vancouver and less than one-quarter of those in Alberta’s major centres.

Currently, Prince George offers a wide variety of office location options, with an office vacancy rate of 12.7% and more than 189,000 square feet of commercial office space available for lease in the downtown core. The City’s downtown revitalization plans present a unique opportunity for the business community to be involved in shaping the new identity of Prince George’s city centre.

Prince George, as a place to live, is also significantly more affordable than other major centres across British Columbia. While Vancouver and Victoria ranked first and second across Canada as the most expensive cities to buy a home in 2010, the average price of a residential home in the city was $240,667, far less than half the cost of an average dwelling in the Greater Vancouver region. The cost for rental accommodations in the city is also quite reasonable; averaging $678/month, rental rates are more than twenty percent lower than the next lowest rates in Kelowna.2

Alongside relatively lower cost of living, the average labour force income in Prince George is one of the highest among other major cities across BC and is higher than the provincial average, leaving residents with a relatively high level of discretionary income. This makes it easier for residents to pursue desired recreational activities and achieve a work-life balance that contributes to a high quality of life.

Quality of life for employees has made the city progressively more attractive to the corporate community, attracting investment and new jobs to Prince George. Telus and Fortis BC are just two of the companies that have recently chosen to expand operations in Prince George, investing nearly $8M combined, creating more than 200 jobs in the downtown core.

Opportunities exist for many other businesses to expand or relocate operations in Prince George as the city further develops its reputation as a preferred place to live, play, work and invest.

Economic Activity

Employment
There were 47,200 persons employed in Prince George in April. The number of persons employed and those in the labour force was relatively unchanged from the previous month, leaving the number of unemployed persons unchanged for the second month in a row. The unemployment rate also remained stable at 5.8%. The number of persons employed in BC and across Canada increased slightly, by 0.4% and 0.3%, respectively; the number in the labour force increased 0.1% in BC and 0.3% in Canada. As a result, the number of unemployed persons decreased by 2.7% in BC and 0.8% in Canada; the provincial and national unemployment rates declined by 0.2% and 0.1% (to 7.9% and 7.6%, respectively). Prince George’s working age population was unchanged for the fourth consecutive month, and the employment rate decreased 0.1% to 66.4% in April; employment rates increased 0.2% and 0.1% in BC and Canada (to 60.3% and 61.9%, respectively).
(Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey)

Real Estate
There were 67 single family homes sold in Prince George in April, 8 fewer than in April 2010, with an average price of $242,472 (0.2% lower than in the same month last year). Year-to-date, the average price of a single family home was down 0.7% compared to the first four months of last year; unit sales were down 10.7%. Comparatively, average prices were up 15.5% and 7.9% in BC and Canada,
respectively, year-to-date; slower sales activity resulted in unit sales being down 1.3% and 9.1%, respectively, as of the end of April.
(Source: BC Northern Real Estate Board; Canadian Real Estate Association)

Housing Construction
There were 13 housing starts in Prince George in April (all single family dwelling units), compared to 19 starts (10 single and 9 multiple dwelling units) in the same month last year. Despite slower activity over the past two months, year-to-date starts were up 45.9% at the end of April, compared to the first four months of 2010. Comparatively, housing starts were down 5.2% and 6.9%, respectively, in BC and across Canada for the same period. There were 11 residential units completed in the city in April (all single family units), 1 more than in the same month in 2010, and there were 170 housing units under construction (98 single family and 72 multiple dwelling units); 11 fewer than in April 2010.
(Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Building Permits
The City of Prince George issued 34 building permits valued at $3.3M in April, down 32.6% compared to the same month last year. Residential building permits accounted for 60.9% of the total value of permits issued in the city, with permits for 8 new single family dwellings making up the majority of the value of this category. Commercial and Industrial building permits accounted for 32.9% and 6.0% of the permits issued in April, respectively. Institutional permits accounted for the remainder. Year-to-date, the value of permits issued in the city was down 39.5% at the end of April. Comparatively, permits were down 7.3% provincially and up 3.7% nationally at the end of March.
(Source: City of Prince George; Statistics Canada)

Business Licenses
The City of Prince George issued 221 business licenses in March (42 new licenses3
(Source: City of Prince George) and 179 renewals). 10 of the new licenses issued were a result of existing business changing location. The number of permits issued last month was down 34.6% over the same month in 2010.

Airport Passenger Volumes
32,408 passengers passed through the Prince George airport in April, 6.3% fewer than in April 2010. Year-to-date, passenger traffic through the airport was down 0.8% compared to the first four months of last year. Comparatively, traffic through the Vancouver airport was up 0.1%, year-to-date, at the end of March.
(Source: Prince George Airport Authority; Vancouver Airport Authority)

1 KPMG Competitive Alternatives 2010.
2 Canadian Real Estate Association; BC Northern Real Estate Board; Canada Mortgage & Housing Corp.
3 New business licenses are issued when a new business is established, when a business is re-established after not operating for a period of time and when a business changes ownership or relocates

From: Initiatives Prince George

Another Satisfied Client

2011-05-30T11:02:00.001-07:00

To Whom It May Concern:

This is in appreciation of Uta Marshall’s assistance during the purchase of our first home. We would like to thank Uta for her availability during that busy time, as well as her patience and hard work in walking us through the process as new homebuyers. Despite how hectic all of our schedules were at the time, she remained relaxed, courteous, responsible and efficient.

The staff at Powerhouse was friendly and easy to talk to, which made the overall process that much simpler, and we thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Rachelle and Renee

Employment Insurance claims plummet in Prince George

2011-05-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

Mark NIELSEN
Citizen staff
mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca

Prince George enjoyed one of the steepest declines in the number of people collecting Employment Insurance, according to a Statistics Canada released last week.

Between March 2010 and March 2011, the number of recipients receiving regular benefits dropped 32 per cent to 2,060 in Prince George, behind only Fort St. John, with a 38.9-per-cent decline, and Quesnel, at 32 per cent.

Prince George Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Jennifer Brandle-McCall said it's a sign that the economy is picking up.

"We are hearing this from most of our members," she said in an e-mail.

"What we also know for certain is that Prince George is truly a knowledge-based resource economy connected to the world," Brandle-McCall continued.

"We have had increasing enrolment over the last year at our local college, the College of Caledonia, to the tune of a 4.3-per-cent increase.

"That, coupled with the training occurring at UNBC, in addition to the fact that industries such as mining, transportation, and manufacturing are experiencing unprecedented growth, in Prince George and the immediate surrounding area, means there are many jobs available and these jobs are being filled by qualified individuals with the training and experience to supply the labour demand."

Prince George is also earning a reputation for non-resource service based industries related to health care and education which are areas of additional local economic growth with high labour demands, she added.

"While numbers like these are good news for our area, the writing is on the wall - we may soon be in a situation where the number of jobs, stemming from our geographic position as a service and supply centre for all the economic growth surrounding us as well as our rich natural resource base, will be greater than the labour available."

Prince George's unemployment rate in March stood at 5.8 per cent, compared to 9.6 per cent the year before. As well, 5,000 people were seeking work in March 2010 compared to just 2,900 a year later, according to Statistics Canada.

3895 Overland Road

2011-05-17T12:11:00.001-07:00

3895 Overland Road, a photo by utamarshall on Flickr.

MLS# N209639

$239,900

If you are looking for a private country home then this may be it. The 3 bedroom home on 5.43 acres has had many updates including flooring, windows, siding and roof. Master bedroom has a wonderful ensuite with skylight and loads of closet space. An OSBE makes it easy to bring in your wood for the electric & wood furnace plus a woodstove in the family room. Property newly fenced in the fall.

Open House at Cluculz Lake

2011-05-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

Sunday May 15th 1-3pm

48610 Velvet Road

$325,000
MLS# N206568
Year round lake living can be had in this wonderful home. This cozy house has 3 bedrooms, an open living plan, plenty of windows and in the winter you can cuddle up near the wood stove.

Picture yourself relaxing in the 12x20 three season sun room and looking out over the lake, or take a soak in the hot tub on the deck. A gently sloping property and shallow 85' shoreline is idea for your family's water fun.

This home has so much to offer and has been lovingly cared for. The bonus to this great property is the huge insulated and wired 24x36 shop with 9' door and 10' ceilings. The shop also features a 12x34 addition with separate entrance. Get yourself out to the lake and enjoy the good life! No archeological designations on site.

Test post

2011-05-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Just trying out a new blogging tool for my iPhone

Technology is to be taken advantage of!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

New Listing - 3242 Monahan Cres

2011-05-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

MLS# N209357
$239,900

Lots of space for the growing family in this home located in Upper College Heights. 5 spacious bedrooms and 3 bathrooms are featured in this westcoast style home with newer paint and modern decor. The living room hosts a very open feel with vaulted ceiling, brick fireplace and hardwood flooring which carries into the dining room. The upper level overlooks the living room and the layout doesn't have a traditional split level home feel. The basement is mainly unfinished but could be converted to a family room.

Prince George Wants You

2011-04-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

Northern city touts cheap housing, plenty of jobs, flourishing forestry as lures
By Glenda Luymes, The Province April 10, 2011

Come to the city where the housing is cheap and the jobs are plentiful.

That's the message the City of Prince George is pushing as it tries to attract new residents and investment in anticipation of a resurgence in the northern economy.

"We see it coming and we want to get ahead of it," said Tim McEwan, president of Initiatives Prince George, a municipally-owned corporation created to encourage development.

McEwan said a number of new capital projects, totalling billions of dollars, are planned for Northern B.C. and will create more jobs and more demand for workers.

In addition, the forestry sector is "flourishing" again thanks to the inroads B.C. lumber has been making into China.

"We've become much more diversified," said McEwan of the forestry industry,

The provincial mining industry has been experiencing a "renaissance," McEwan said. A new transmission line planned along Highway 37 will enable even more growth to occur in this sector.

The proposed Site C hydroelectric project is also expected to create opportunities, he said.

Prince George boasts an unemployment rate about three-per-cent lower than the B.C. average, with an above-average labour force income. The city was listed first among 13 U.S. and Canadian cities in the Pacific region in KPMG's Competitive Alternatives Study, which ranks preferred places to invest.

"Prince George is really a hub for the whole region," McEwan said.

Nearby ports are about 58 hours closer to Asia than any U.S. ports. Canada's third-largest commercial runway, situated on a circumpolar route between China and the U.S. heartland, is located at the local airport.

"Now is the time for people with aspirations of a better life to move to Prince George," he said.

Initiatives Prince George is also working to promote the city as a family-friendly place to live -a task that has its challenges among Lower Mainlanders, who tend to view it as a cold lumber town, with recent gang crime issues.

But McEwan rejects this view, stressing the city's affordable cost of housing.

The average detached housing price in Prince George was $240,667 in 2010, compared with the provincial average of $505,178, and more than a million dollars on the west side of Vancouver, he said.

It's estimated that housing in Prince George consumes about 30 per cent of pre-tax income, compared with 70 per cent in the Lower Mainland, he added.

The city also hopes to attract students to the top-ranked University of Northern B.C.

"We know that if you train people in the north, you'll retain people in the north -so that's one of our strategies as well," McEwan said.

New Listing

2011-04-06T14:04:00.001-07:00

306 - 3644 Arnett Ave MLS# N207761 $114,000 Clean 2 bedroom condo in a central location in well managed building. This top floor unit has a storage room and overlooks Ospika Blvd. Close to shopping, CNC and UNBC. This condo is great from someone just starting out or as an investment property. Out-of-town buyers purchasing as an investment have no worries as the property rental administration handles tenants and rents for you. This great building also offers a pool, sauna and tennis courts. Call Uta at 250-981-5580 for your viewing.

What is an Insurance Subject

2011-02-11T17:48:00.000-08:00

When Realtors write an offer on a home we place subjects in the contract to protect the buyer. One of these subjects is an insurance subject.

Even though I always explain the subjects and how they protect the buyer, the other day one of my clients really questioned as to why he needed this subject in his offer to purchase a home. Now perhaps other areas of the country do not use this clause, but here in Prince George it is a standard subject that Realtors place within the Contract of Purchase and Sale.

The subject states:
"This offer is subject to the Buyer(s) obtaining approval for fire/property insurance, satisfactory to the Buyer(s) on the above mentioned property on or before [insert date].
This subject is for the sole benefit of the Buyer."

This does not mean that the buyer must get insurance before the home is actually purchased. What it means is that the buyer needs to find out by the specified date whether an insurance company will actually insure the home or not.

The buyer brings the listing sheet to an insurance agent, informs them that he is trying to purchase the home and asks if they would insure the home. If so, then the insurance agent can provide a letter stating that they are willing to insure the home as long as all the information provided about the property is accurate. Often the insurance agent will ask for additional information or photos of the home.

Where I live there are certain things that insurance companies will look closely at, such as preserved wood foundations, wood fireplace inserts, age of roof, aluminum wiring, galvanized plumbing, amperage of electrical service etc. Some items make the home uninsurable such as the electrical amperage being under 100amps (although these items may vary between the various insurance underwriters). Sometimes the buyer himself will be a high insurance risk or uninsurable.

If the buyer comes across something that would deem the house uninsurable, then his Realtor can try to renegotiate the offer by either asking the seller to correct the problem, or to reduce the price so that the buyer can correct the problem immediately following the closing of the sale (of course arrangements/permission must be obtained from the insurance company first).

Most importantly this subject protects the buyer in regard to the mortgage. If he is unable to get insurance on the home, then he will not qualify for the mortgage.

Disclaimer: This information may vary depending on insurance underwriters and financial institutions. As such, it is possible that certain inaccuracies or inconstencies may occur.

New Price on Townhouse

2011-02-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

320 - 2550 Ospika Blvd S
MLS# N204817

This lovely renovated townhouse has a new price. Only $142,900 and you could live in a wonderful central location. New updates include windows, flooring, kitchen, bathrooms, and paint. Three bedrooms and 1.5 baths give you lots of space.

Call Uta at 250-981-5580 to book your viewing today.

January 2011 Economic Update

2011-02-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

The Prince George population increased for the fourth consecutive year in 2010.1 After nearly a decade typified by population decline, population growth has been picking up momentum each year in the city. In 2007, the population grew at a rate of 0.6% and by 2010 growth had reached a pace of 1.2%, for an annual average of 0.9% over the past four years. Overall, the Prince George population has grown in size by 3.7% since 2006, reaching a level that has not been seen since the year 2000.

Prince George was not the only Northern BC community to experience population growth
in 2010; nearly all of the eight Regional Districts2 across the Northern part of the province experienced population increases in 2010. Many of these increases were a continuation of growth in the two or three years prior to last year. Overall, the population across Northern BC grew by 0.9% in 2010 and by an annual average of 0.7% since 2006. This period of growth followed a ten-year interval between 1997 and 2006 in which the population changed at an annual average of -0.9% each year.

The increasing trend of population growth in Prince George reflects robust employment
activity in 2010. Employment levels increased 10.9% between 2009 and 2010; last year, the number of employed persons in the city was the highest it has been in almost fifteen years.3 The city’s labour force and rate of participation were higher than at any point over the last decade, and the employment rate was the second highest over the last fifteen years.4

Stronger population and employment growth in Prince George relative to the whole Northern region reflects the city’s role as a service and supply hub for most industry activities in Northern BC. Prince George is the location of approximately 20.0% of the total firms and 28.0% of total employment in Northern BC5

The increase in population and employment in Prince George and across the Northern
region is indicative of expanding economic opportunities in the region, related to most
sectors of the economy including transportation, wholesale & retail trade, construction, manufacturing and natural resource industry activities such as bioenergy and mining and oil & gas operations. The education and health care sectors also have a strong presence in Prince George.

Unsurprisingly, given the large proportion of businesses and employment relative to the region as a whole, Prince George has benefited greatly from economic activity
throughout Northern BC in recent years. This is expected to continue to pick up pace
in 2011 and in subsequent years.

Current and upcoming major projects in the region include the BC Cancer Agency Centre
for the North ($100M), Terrane Metals’ Mt. Milligan project ($917M), Rio Tinto Alcan’s Kitimat modernization ($300M). These and other key infrastructure and productivity enhancing manufacturing investments throughout Northern BC will translate to nearly $2.5B of investment which will augment all sectors of the economy.

A growing customer base and diversified labour force are making the city and the
region increasingly attractive to investors. The momentum in population growth over
the last four years has translated into strong activity in many economic indicators. These trends will be profiled in upcoming issues of the Economic Update.

Economic Statistics

Employment

Employment in Prince George declined slightly in December, decreasing by 0.4% (200 persons); nonetheless, the level of employment in the city was 15.7% higher than in the same month last year and 4.8% higher than in December 2008. Last month’s
decrease in employment was moderated by a 0.6% decline in the labour force (300
persons); as a result, the number of unemployed persons was relatively unchanged and the unemployment rate increased only slightly (0.1%) to 6.5%.

Across BC, employment declined by 1.0% and the labour force declined by 0.2% while
employment across Canada increased by 0.1%, as did the labour force. Subsequently,
the number of unemployed persons increased by 9.4% in BC and declined by 0.2% in Canada; BC’s unemployment rate increased 0.7% (to 7.6%) and the rate was unchanged at 7.6% in Canada.

Prince George’s working age population increased by 100 persons (0.1%) last month, and the employment rate decreased 0.4% to 69.9%; the employment rate decreased 0.6% in BC and was unchanged in Canada in December.
(Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey)

Real Estate

There were 38 single family homes sold in Prince George in December, 7 fewer than in December 2009, with an average price of $218,778 (12.9% lower than in the same month last year). For the year, the average price of a single family home in the city was $240,667, up 2.2% compared to the whole of last year; total unit sales were 782, down 5.6% for the year. Comparatively, average prices were up 8.5% and 5.8% in BC and Canada, respectively, for the year; unit sales were down 12.2% provincially and 3.9% nationally over the same period last year.
(Source: BC Northern Real Estate Board; Canadian
Real Estate Association)

Housing Construction

There were 2 housing starts in Prince George in December (both single family dwelling units), 4 fewer than in the same month last year. For the year, there were
213 starts, up 46.9% over 2009; single family units were up 33.6% and multiples
were up 93.8% over the same period last year. Comparatively, starts were up 72.2%
and 29.7%, respectively, in BC and Canada at the end of December. There were 27
residential units completed in the city in December (all single family units), 6 more
than in the same month in 2009, and there were 205 housing units under construction
(119 single family and 86 multiple dwelling units); 15.8% more than in December 2009.
(Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Building Permits

The City of Prince George issued 26 building permits valued at $1.6M in December, down 57.5% compared to the same month last year. Despite slower activity last month, the value of permits totaled more than $131M in 2010, up 93.5% over 2009. Comparatively, year-to-date permits were up 35.5% provincially and 22.4% nationally at the end of November. Residential building permits accounted for 41.0% of the total value of permits issued in the city last month, as a result of permits for new construction and alterations on single family dwellings (43.7% and 39.0% of this category for the month, respectively). The Institutional category accounted for 30.2% of total permits in December; a $0.5M permit for renovations at the Northern Interior Health Unit made up most of this category. The Industrial category accounted for 26.8% of the permits issued for the month, and Commercial permits made up the remainder.
(Source: City of Prince George; Statistics Canada)
Business Licenses

The City of Prince George issued 4 business license renewals in December and 77 new
business licenses.6 More than 5,000 licenses were issued for the year.
(Source: City of Prince George)

Airport Passenger Volumes

66,361 passengers passed through the Prince George airport in November and December, 0.9% more than in the same period last year. For the year, 390,340 passengers moved through YXS, 3.8% more than in 2009. Comparatively, traffic through the Vancouver airport was up 3.7% year-to-date, at the end of December.
(Source: Prince George Airport Authority; Vancouver
Airport Authority)

1 BC Stats Sub-Provincial Population Estimates.
2 For the purpose of this article, Northern BC is comprised
of the Fraser-Fort George, Cariboo, Northern Rockies,
Peace River, Kitimat-Stikine, Skeena-Queen Charlotte,
Bulkley-Nechako and Stikine Regional Districts.
3 Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey.
4 The highest employment rate over the last decade and a
half occurred in 2007.
5 Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey and Business
Register Establishment Counts.
6 New business licenses are issued when a new
business is established, when a business is reestablished
after not operating for a period of time
and when a business changes ownership or relocates.

From Initiatives Prince George

REM magazine

2011-02-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

I was mentioned in the January 2011 edition of REM magazine Independent news and opinion for Canada's real estate industry. Unfortunately they didn't put in a photo of me as they did with all the other agents interviewed, but I'm very happy that they decided to publish my opinion.

Cluculz Lake Waterfront Home

2011-01-31T12:31:00.000-08:00

46810 Velvet Road
$325,000
MLS# N206568

Year round lake living can be had in this wonderful home. This cozy house has 3 bedrooms, an open living plan, plenty of windows and in the winter you can cuddle up near the wood stove.

The bonus to this great property is the huge insulated and wired 24x36 shop with 9' door and 10' ceilings. The shop also features a 12x34 addition with separate entrance. Get yourself out to the lake and enjoy the good life!

The Regional District of Bulkley Nechako has confirmed there are no archeological designations on this property.

Three season sunroom with woodstove

Cozy livingroom with windows looking out to the lake

Watch the birds from this nice kitchen with new flooring

My New Ad

2011-01-27T16:07:00.001-08:00

Cluculz Lake properties affected by archeological site designation

2011-01-27T16:04:00.000-08:00

By Arthur Williams - Prince George Free Press
Published: January 26, 2011 10:00 AM
Updated: January 26, 2011 10:27 AM

Hundreds of homes and recreation properties on the north shore of Cluculz Lake may be sitting on protected archeological sites, while their owners are completely unaware.

The lake, located approximately 64 kilometres west of Prince George on Highway 16, is a popular recreation area. According to the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako there are almost 700 year-round and seasonal homes located on or near the waterfront at Cluculz Lake.

In 1984 the Nechako-Stewart Archaeological Survey found evidence of Carrier seasonal villages, cache pits, fishing sites and other habitation at 15 sites in the areas of Jardine Road, Haynes Road, Aaron Road, Beaumont Road, Meier Road East, Meier Road West and Tapping Road.

Under the Heritage Conservation Act, these sites are automatically protected and no changes or development can take place on them without a site alteration permit from the B.C. Archaeology Branch. Obtaining the permit requires contracting a professional archeologist to conduct a site assessment – a process which can be lengthy, costly, and may not result in the granting of a permit.

Despite these restrictions, when a site is automatically designated an archeologically protected area it is not registered on the title, a spokesman for the Ministry of Natural Resource Operations said.

Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad lives at Cluculz Lake year-round, but only found out his property may be on a archeological site when contacted by a constituent.

“There is nothing on my land title, although my property also has the potential to be an archeological site,” Rustad said. “If there is a restriction on these properties, the property owners and any future property owners should know about it.”

Rustad said while it is important to preserve the history of the province, property owners have the right to know what they’re getting into.

Under section 32(2) of the Heritage Conservation Act, the Minister of Natural Resource Operations may put written notice on the title if a property is an automatically protected site. However, according to a ministry spokesman, that is not standard practice.

No central database of archeological sites exists and maps or information about archeological sites is not made public to protect the sites from illegal collection of artifacts, he said. A property owner can request the information through the Archaeological Branch, or from the regional district.

If a site is formally designated as an archaeological site, the designation is registered on the title and the owner may be eligible for financial compensation. However, when a site is automatically protected no compensation is available.

“If it is government that has imposed these restrictions then ... the landowner should be compensated, plain and simple,” Rustad said. “The other question is the rights of the property owner. At what point do we say to the property owner,’you can’t do what it is you want to do with your property?’”

Rustad said he is investigating the issue and hopes to find out what options affected property owners have.

Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako planning director Jason Llewellyn said the regional district can access the archaeological information under a strictly-regulated information sharing agreement with the Archaeological Branch. Llewellyn said he believes the information sharing started in early 2007.

Llewellyn said the regional district can inform property owners, or their agent, of a protected site if they seek a building permit, or if they request the information.

“If someone is making inquiries about their property and ask things like, ‘what are the issues with this property?’ we can tell them,” Llewellyn said. “(But) it really depends on what they ask. Sometimes if we get a specific question, like what is the zoning of the property, we’ll just answer that question.”

When Haynes Road resident Matthew Harraway bought his home in 2002, he thought he did his due diligence. Harraway said he checked the property title and found no indication of an archaeological site.

However, when he requested the building permit information in December — eight years after buying and living on the property — he was informed an automatically-protected archaeological site, FIRv-7, covered the majority of the usable land on his property.

The nearly 11-hectare archaeological site covers nearly all his shoreline and extends 66m to 121m inland, Harraway said.

“People like myself have been taken off guard. It’s passed through lawyers, realtors and even property appraisers have looked at this and didn’t find it,” Harraway said. “Over 90 per cent of the lakefront is deemed an archaeological site — including the water where they used to put up nets and traps. It basically affects everything.”

Harraway had his property privately appraised last year at more than $300,000. If he’s able to sell the property now, he said, it will likely be for much less than that.

“The public should be aware of this, so nobody else gets trapped like we are,” he said. “I would just hate for somebody else to find out after they buy their place. If you had a fire, which isn’t that uncommon out here, whether you’d be able to build again is in question.”

Harraway said he’s read the report, Carrier Settlement and Subsistence in the Chinlac/Cluculz Area of Central B.C., which was the basis for the archaeological designation.

“There was a village on this property. It was used for hunting and fishing,” he said. “They had trails coming up Cluculz Creek. It’s absolutely a fascinating story, but I wish it didn’t affect me.”

To contract an archaeologist to access the property is, “a blank-cheque scenario,” he said.

“I’ve heard of one case were it cost $50,000,” he said. “If could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on what they find.”

Because the archaeological status isn’t reflected on the title, he said, it also means his assessed value for tax purposes does not reflect the real resale value of the property.

“We have a break-down in communication between three levels of government: the Archaeological Branch, regional district and B.C. Assessment,” he said.

B.C. Assessment north region deputy assessor Christopher Whyte said the assessment authority relies on title searches for information about archaeological sites or other mitigating factors on a property.

“We’re open and willing to reflect it (in the assessed value) — but we defer to the experts,” Whyte said.

If a property owner can present B.C. Assessment with an archaeologic assessment which shows sites affecting the use of the property, then the assessed value will drop accordingly, he said.

Open House Sunday, January 23

2011-01-22T15:56:00.000-08:00

OPEN HOUSE
Sunday, January 23 1-2:30pm

7712 McMaster Cres
MLS# N203106
$227,000

Looks small but feels large and new! Beautifully renovated open plan for a family with teenagers or empty nesters - 2 bedrooms on the main and 3 bedrooms below, plus a large familyroom and office. Large sundeck off the kitchen looks over the mature gardens. An insulated and wired garage wtih extension and greenhouse complete the yard.

City's population grows

2011-01-20T09:41:00.001-08:00

Mark Nielsen
Citizen staff
mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca

Prince George's population stood at 75,568 people by the end of 2010 - a 1.2 per cent increase over the previous year.

The increase works out to 924 people as well as an increase of 2,678 in the last five years, according to B.C. Stats numbers released this week

The news came as no surprise to Initiatives Prince George research analyst Tara Bogh, "just considering the strong employment numbers we've had."

According to year-end labour-force survey numbers, the city's working age population for the fourth year in a row increased to 68,100 in 2010 from 66,200 in 2007.

Bogh could not say where the newcomers are coming from but she expects the trend to continue into 2011

"Although the data does not tell us definitively where people are moving from, we know that people move to a community if it is attractive to them," said Bogh.

"The consistent growth in the Prince George population over recent years really reflects both the economic opportunities and lifestyle advantages in our city relative to other jurisdictions, which continue to make the city a preferred destination."

Looking elsewhere Mackenzie's population declined by 910 people since 2006 and now stands at 3,705. The downturn in U.S. house construction struck the community hard, said Bogh.

"However, we can expect their population to recover over time as things pick up again, as we have already seen begin to happen," she said of the community 186 kilometres north of Prince George.

"New economic opportunities including new mill activities starting up in the last half of 2010 should serve to pump up the economy and draw people back into that community as well."

Elsewhere in the Fraser-Fort George Regional District, population levels were fairly stable.

For the unincorporated areas, the population stood at 15,562, up 331 from 2006, Valemount's was 1,045, up 44 people, and McBride's was 677, a 16-person increase.

B.C. Stats estimates are based on federal Census figures and numbers gleaned from other sources such as telephone numbers and hydro accounts. The next federal Census is set for May.

Prince George Chateau Open House Event

2011-01-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

Please visit me at the Prince George Chateau on Saturday, January 22 from 10 -4 for their Open House Event. I'll be there to answer any questions you may have in regard to downsizing, selling your home and current market conditions.

I've worked for many years with Senior Citizens and extensively with seniors housing so I'm sensitive to the concerns and challenges of moving when older.

New mortgage rules could price some out of market

2011-01-17T14:54:00.000-08:00

Paul Vieira, Financial Post · Monday, Jan. 17, 2011

OTTAWA — Tougher mortgage lending rules, as unveiled by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on Monday, could add an estimated $100 a month in carrying costs for future homeowners — pricing some people out of the real estate market — and affect roughly 20,000 home sales in 2011, analysts say.

Those rough estimates emerged after the government announced changes that would see Ottawa no longer guarantee insured mortgages with terms exceeding 30 years (the previous maximum was 35 years).

Also, Mr. Flaherty lowered the maximum amount Canadians can borrow against the value of their homes, to 85% from 90%, on a refinancing; and removed federal government backing for home equity lines of credit, or so-called HELOCs, whose popularity soared in the past decade with growth double that of mortgage debt.

Combined, the measures “will reinforce what we were expecting to be a slower pace of real estate activity,” said Adrienne Warren, senior economist at Bank of Nova Scotia.

She said the impact to the change to amortization would be relatively modest, at about $100 more per month in carrying costs for an average home. Nevertheless, “it could price some people out of the market at the margin, but it suggests [Canadians] will have to take on smaller debt than they otherwise would.”

Meanwhile, Pascal Gauthier, senior economist at Toronto-Dominion Bank, said the amortization change could affect 20,000 home sales on an annualized basis, with the average home price likely to weaken by 2% this year or slightly more than TD had forecast.

The changes, as reported by the National Post on Sunday, emerged as worries escalate among Bay Street leaders and the Bank of Canada about the record levels of household indebtedness, and how conditions could deteriorate unless pre-emptive action was taken.

“We want to make sure we don’t have the kind of medium-term problem that has been experienced elsewhere because of this tendency by some to assume large indebtedness at low interest rates,” Mr. Flaherty said. “People need to demonstrate that good Canadian trade of prudence and reasonableness in terms of their debt assumptions.”

He said the growing appetite for HELOCs was of particular concern and was an “important” factor in the rise in overall household debt. Mr. Flaherty said some banks were insuring, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., their exposure to HELOC liabilities, and wants to put an end to that practice.

“That’s particularly risky,” Mr. Flaherty said. “Some of those loans are not used to create housing in Canada. They are used to buy boats and cars and big-screen TVs. That’s not the business mortgage insurance was designed for.”

Executives at Bank of Montreal were quick to applaud the government's move.

“The actions announced are prudent, measured, responsible and timely,” said Frank Techar, president of personal and commercial banking at Bank of Montreal.

The changes will be implemented in stages, with adjustments on amortization and refinancing limits coming into force on March 18. Government backing on HELOCs will be removed as of April 18.

The government said exceptions would be allowed after the new measures come into force when needed to satisfy a home purchase or sale and financing agreement struck before the March and April in-force dates.

The minimum down payment, at 5%, will remain as is. Mr. Flaherty said the government could have gone further by boosting the minimum down payment but opted not to in an effort to strike a balance. “We do not want to create any shock in the market or any sort of dramatic pressure. We want to be moderate.”

The changes to the country’s mortgage rules -- the second in as many years -- emerge amid rising concern about the record levels of household debt, which measured as a ratio of money owed to disposable income nears a startling 150% as of the third quarter of last year.

The Bank of Canada recently warned debt levels are growing faster than income, and the risk posed by consumer indebtedness to the domestic economy would continue to escalate without a “significant change” in how consumers borrow and banks lend.

Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney said policymakers have a “responsibility” to look at the benefits of pre-emptive action. Joining the chorus have been chief executives at the big banks, most notably Ed Clark at Toronto-Dominion Bank, in publicly advocating for tougher mortgage standards.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledged his government was considering changes to the rules governing mortgages.

In February of 2010, Mr. Flaherty moved to toughen up the mortgage rules amid worries that Canada was in the midst of a housing market bubble. The reforms, since introduced, compelled borrowers to meet standards for a five-year fixed-rate mortgage, even if the buyer wanted a shorter-term, variable rate loan; reduced the amount Canadian can borrow against their home, to 90% of the property value from 95%; and require purchasers of rental properties to issue a 20% down payment as opposed to 5%. The moves played a role, observers say, in slowing down real estate activity.

Analysts at Scotia Capital suggested government regulation was the way to go in terms of curbing household appetite for credit as opposed to the Bank of Canada raising interest rates, which they said would be “imprudent” at this time.

The central bank issues its latest rate statement on Tuesday and it is expected to hold its benchmark rate at its present 1% level as signs indicate the economy may be benefiting from renewed business and consumer confidence in the United States.

Stewart Hall, economist at HSBC Securities Canada, said the extraordinarily low-rate environment “provides all the incentive to consumers to borrow and spend and none of the incentive to save. You can try to [regulate] that away but that is apt to be fraught with significant frustration.”

Financial Post

Job stats reason for optimism

2011-01-17T13:03:00.000-08:00

Mark Nielsen
Citizen staff
mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca

A look at Prince George's labour force statistics for the past five years has Initiatives Prince George research analyst Tara Bough feeling upbeat for job seekers for the year to come.

Highlights for Bough begin with an increase in the city's working age population for the fourth year in a row, to 68,100 in 2010 from 66,200 in 2007.

"And when you look at that number, that's the highest it's been since 2003," Bough said of the 2010 total.

At 51,200, the total labour force - those working or unemployed but seeking jobs - was the highest since 1998 while the number of employed, at 47,200, was the highest it's been since 1996.

The unemployment rate averaged 7.8 per cent in 2010, a big improvement over 11.5 per cent for 2009, but still the second highest since 2006. But Bough's focus is on the employment rate, which stood at 69.3 per cent, the fourth highest in the 23 years of numbers available from Statistics Canada.

What's more, the participation rate was 75.2 per cent, tied with 1996 for the highest rate for a year.

"When we look at this astronomically high employment rate, to me that's an indication that we have people moving to Prince George from other areas because of employment opportunities," Bough said. "And that is different from anything we've seen in any previous recession, where there wouldn't have been the opportunities here and you would've seen people flowing outwards."

What does this say about 2011?

"I think this says very positive things about 2011, I think there is a lot of activity brewing just in terms of new job opportunities," Bough said.

Just don't expect them all to come in one fell swoop.

"What's probably the biggest contributor to our employment increase is not that 400 jobs from a new sawmill, it's the business that employs 20 people hiring another two," Bough said. "That may not seem like a lot but when it's happening straight across the entire economy, that makes a huge difference."

OPEN HOUSES for Sunday, January 16, 2011

2011-01-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

1:00 - 2:30pm

Open House at 320 - 2550 S. Ospika Blvd

$144,900

This townhouse is in a central location and offers 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. New laminate, windows, appliances, kitchen counters, sinks, vanities and more.

3:00 - 4:00 pm

Open House at 123 - 2500 Grant Road

$134,900 New Price!

Three bedroom, 2 bathroom mobile in excellent condition. Very bright with vaulted ceilings and large dining room. Wheelchair ramp can stay or be replaced with stairs.

A Tricky Included Item

2011-01-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

I am very cautious about making notes on listing sheets as I show homes to my buyers. I try to note items in the home that are attached, appliances, sheds, or anything else that I feel may be noteworthy should the viewing lead to an offer.

Last year I ran into a tricky item which both the seller's agent and myself overlooked until my buyer mentioned it to me. It is an item that is usually hidden from view and no thought ever given to it. What could such an item be? None other than the flat screen television mount on the wall.

To the buyer this means if the mount is not included in the sale, a provision has to be made in the offer that the wall be repaired and repainted. If left behind as an afixed item and not wanted by the buyer then he will end up being responsible to repair the wall.

In turn, the seller could be out several hundred dollars (depending on the quality of the mount) if it is left behind as an afixed item because it was inadvertently not specified as an excluded item.

As a buyer, make note of any flat screen televisions in the homes that you view and in the offer either specify it as an included item, or if you don't want the mount make a condition in the offer for the seller to repair and repaint the wall.

If you are selling your home, make sure that your Realtor designates the the television mounts as an excluded item if you are planning on taking the mounts with you when you leave.

Revenue Property

2010-11-30T15:19:00.000-08:00

1459 - 1461 NATION CR
MLS # N205811
$299,00

Investment opportunity here with a total potential revenue of $3200. Side by sid e duplex featuring 3 bedrooms up with separate unauthorized 2 bedroom basement s uites on each side. Upgraded electrical to 200amp with new panels and meters, some new paint, new furnaces and HWT's, some new windows and new entry doors. Located on bus routes to CNC and UNBC. Close to recreation and shopping. One basement suite requires finishing.

320 2550 S. Ospika Blvd

2010-10-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

MLS # N204817
$146,900

Needing a townhouse in a central location? This one has had lots of updates and is waiting for you! Newer laminate in all three bedrooms on the top floor. The kitchen has new sink, taps, counters, lovely glass back splash and new appliances. The large living rm also features new laminate, a gas fireplace with custom made mantel, and sliding glass doors opening to the small fenced yard with patio and storage shed. The unit also has new light fixtures, newer furnace, and all windows have been replaced with Low E vinyl. The basement is awaiting your ideas and already has an office in place.

OPEN HOUSE: SUNDAY OCT 24 12 - 1:30pm

2010 Bathtub Race for Habitat for Humanity

2010-09-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

Once again Team Powerhouse Realty competed in the annual Bathtub Races to benefit Habitat for Humanity.

2009 was a winning year for us, and the racers and cheering section wore our Team Powerhouse Realty tee shirts with "Tub Race Champions" emblazoned on the back. Unfortunately we had to hand over the trophy to the Andrew Sheret/Splashes team.

Below are a couple of videos of the races.

Low Mortgage Rates Boost August Home Sales

2010-09-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales in the province declined 35 per cent to 5,590 units in August compared to the same month last year. On a seasonally adjusted basis, MLS® residential unit sales in the province increased 7 per cent in August from July 2010. The average MLS® residential price climbed 4 per cent to $487,804 in August compared to the same month last year.

"August home sales posted the first month-to-month increase since March of this year,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “Lower mortgage interest rates and an improving labour market are inducing additional consumer demand."

"The number of new residential listings in the province has fallen 30 per cent since April,” added Muir. “With fewer new listings, total active listings are now on the decline, signaling that an end to the buyer’s market may be on the horizon."

Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume increased 8 per cent to $26.9 billion, compared to the same period last year. Residential unit sales rose 2 per cent to 53,717 year-to-date, while the average MLS® residential price climbed 10 per cent to $501,226 over the same period.

3505 Knoedler Road - MLS N202901

2010-08-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

Cozy family home on 4 acres situated only 25 minutes from downtown. Maple hardwood and slate tile flooring complete the open feel of this bright 4 bedroom and 3 bath home. The family room has garden doors which lead to the patio and outside to the attractively landscaped yard with forest views. It even comes with a 16x16 wired shed on concrete slab to store your toys. NG piped on sundeck for your BBQing. This home on a quiet road makes it an ideal location to raise your family.

$329,500

7712 McMaster Crescent

2010-08-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

MLS# N203107
$229,900

Looks small but feels large and new! Beautifully renovated open plan home for a family with teenagers, or empty nesters - 2 bedrooms on the main & 3 bedrooms below, plus a large family room & office. Large sundeck off the kitchen looks over the mature gardens. An insulated & wired garage with extension & greenhouse complete the yard. Don't pass over this home, it truly is a must see.

Waterfront Executive Home on North Nechako

2010-07-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

8597 North Nechako Road
$779,900

This executive custom designed and built home will not disappoint you. It is ready to accommodate a growing family with its 5 extra large bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. An all season sun room runs the length of the home and offers views of the backyard and river. The entertainer's kitchen features beautiful granite counters and opens up to the family room with wet bar. Bedrooms and library with balcony are located on the upper level. Downstairs features a large recreation room which would make a perfect home theatre. A triple garage and fenced 1.02 acre waterfront lot in a desirable area make this a wonderful place to raise your family. Many updates including new roof, HE furnace with filtering system, paint, trim and garage doors.

Economic Activity - May 2010

2010-06-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Minerals North conference was held in Prince George from April 21st to 23rd, attended by a broad spectrum of individuals from the private and public sectors. The conference attendants consisted of residents from communities throughout Northern BC including First Nations, mining and exploration company representatives, service providers and local and provincial politicians.

Minerals North was attended by 463 delegates and 200 exhibitors, the majority of which came from outside the city; 350 delegates who attended the conference and 124 of the exhibitors were from outside Prince George and brought significant economic benefits to the city over the three days. A conservative estimate of the impact of Minerals North is that the conference brought more than $500,000 into the Prince George economy.

The estimated impact of Minerals North is based on the assumption that not all of the conference delegates or exhibitors stayed in Prince George over all three days of the conference, but that at least half stayed for at least two. A multiplier determined by BC Stats to be suitable for specific industry activities was used in the assessment.

Given the average daily room rate of $105.10 for accommodations in the city, and the conservative estimate of $100.00 per day for food, beverage, retail spending and miscellaneous expenditures, the impact can be assessed as follows:

Impact on accommodation services:
237 delegates/exhibitors @ 2 days and 237 delegates/exhibitors @ 3 days:
Total impact with multiplier:
$124,425 x 1.44 = $179,172

Impact on food and beverage services, retailers and miscellaneous services:
237 delegates/exhibitors @ 2 days and
237 delegates/exhibitors @ 3 days:
Total impact with multiplier:
$118,500 x 1.53 = $181,305

In addition, there was the impact of the expenses of putting on the event, including the cost of the venue, advertising and marketing, wages of the conference organizer, and other expenses:
Total impact with multiplier:
$139,473 x 1.54 = $214,788

The above estimates do not include spending estimates for spouses or family members who accompanied delegates to Prince George over the duration of the conference. It is estimated that at least 50 of the delegates were accompanied by spouses who did not attend the conference but would have engaged in shopping or other activities in Prince George.

In addition to the impact of spending associated with the conference, Minerals North also supported employment for 10 persons each day at the Prince George Civic Centre, and had the indirect benefit of promoting tourism, arts and culture in Prince George. Sponsors including Exploration Place, Two Rivers Gallery, The Prince George Symphony and Tourism Prince George all received publicity from participating in the event which will have both immediate and long term benefits.

The conference provided a forum for Northern communities to discover the economic opportunities the mining industry presents, while enabling companies to showcase the services and products they can provide to future operations in the North. Northern BC is the future of mineral exploration and mining in British Columbia and the 2010 Minerals North conference demonstrated this once again, through promoting the potential of the industry to create thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars in revenues, taxes, royalties, wages and expenditures on goods and services in the region.

The conference provided a forum for Northern communities to discover the economic opportunities the mining industry presents, while enabling companies to showcase the services and products they can provide to future operations in the North. Northern BC is the future of mineral exploration and mining in British Columbia and the 2010 Minerals North conference demonstrated this once again, through promoting the potential of the industry to create thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars in revenues, taxes, royalties, wages and expenditures on goods and services in the region.

Economic Statistics

Employment
The number of employed persons in Prince George increased for the fifth consecutive month in April. The 1,800 person (3.9%) increase in employment greatly surpassed increases in BC (0.6%) and across Canada (also 0.6%). The employment level in the city was up over the same month in both 2009 and 2008 (12.1% and 4.4% higher, respectively). As the employment increase coincided with a 600 person (1.2%) increase in the labour force, the number of unemployed persons decreased by 1,200 (25.5%) and the unemployment rate dropped 2.4% to 6.9%. Comparatively, the provincial labour force decreased by 0.1% while the national labour force increased by 0.5%, and the number of unemployed persons decreased by 7.5% in BC and 1.1% in Canada. As a result, unemployment rates dropped (0.6% to 7.3% in BC and 0.1% to 8.1% in Canada). Prince George’s employment rate increased 2.6% to 69.8% in April; rates also increased in BC (0.2%) and in Canada (0.3%).
(Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey)

Real Estate
75 single family homes were sold in Prince George in April, with an average price of $242,941 (1.3% lower than the previous month, but 11.0% higher than the same month last year and 1.5% higher than in the same month in 2008). Year-to-date, average prices were up 6.9% compared to the first four months of 2009 and 0.8% lower than the average price in the same period in 2008. Year-to-date, unit sales were up 5.7% over 2009 but still 13.3% below 2008 levels. Comparatively, year-to-date average prices were up 17.2% provincially and 15.8% nationally over the same period in 2009; unit sales were up 47.4% and 36.3%, respectively, although sales activity was cooler in April compared to recent months.
(Source: BC Northern Real Estate Board; Canadian Real Estate Association)

Housing construction
There were 19 housing starts in Prince George in April (10 single family and 9 multiple dwelling units), 14 more than in the same month last year and 3 more than in April 2008. Year-to-date, starts were up 184.6% over the same period last year, and down 15.9% over the first four months of 2008, entirely due to an exceptionally strong January in that year. Comparatively, year-to-date starts were up 119.8% and 58.9%, respectively, in BC and Canada, compared to the first four months of last year. 10 residential units were completed in the city in April (all single family units), 3 fewer than in the same month in 2009, and there were 181 housing units under construction (129 single family and 52 multiple units); 34.7% fewer than in April 2009.
(Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Building Permits
The City of Prince George issued 64 building permits valued at $4.9M in April; the value of permits issued was up 158.9% compared to the same month last year. Residential building permits accounted for 79.4% of the total value of permits issued, largely due to permits for new single family and multiple dwellings. Commercial permits accounted for 13.5% of total permits in April, with a $0.6M permit for Andre’s Audiotronics making up the majority of this category. Industrial permits made up most of the remainder of permits issued for the month. The value of total permits issued in the city was up 91.2%, year-to-date, compared to the first four months of 2009, and up 0.1% over the same period in 2008. Comparatively, year-to-date permits were up 44.0% provincially and 41.7% nationally at the end of March.
(Source: City of Prince George; Statistics Canada)

Business Licenses
The City of Prince George issued 132 business licenses in April (76 renewals and 56 new licenses). Year-to-date, new licenses and renewals were up 41.5% and 23.5%, respectively, at the end of April; the number of total licenses issued was up 23.7% over the same period last year.
(Source: City of Prince George)

Airport Passenger Volumes
71,622 passengers passed through the Prince George airport in March and April (36,203 inbound and 35,419 outbound); year-to-date traffic was up 5.0% at the end of April compared to the first four months of 2009. Comparatively, traffic through the Vancouver airport was up 0.7% year-to-date, at the end of February.
(Source: Prince George Airport Authority; Vancouver Airport Authority)
Economic Statistics

From www.initiativepg.com

Waterfront - West Lake Open House

2010-06-02T12:20:00.001-07:00

Visit this unique home with 14 acres on West Lake!
OPEN HOUSE 1-3pm Sunday June 6
7450 Gilliard Road

$399,900
MLS# N199071

A very private and unique waterfront home on West Lake with almost 14 acres is waiting for you. There is lots of potential in this charming yet rustic home with an open and airy plan. Two stories with a walk out basement. A wrap around sundeck gives you the opportunity to enjoy the lake views no matter what the weather. The main floor is wheelchair accessible and a covered walkway leads to the 10x14 heated guest cabin. Lots of storage in the 24x32 detached garage (wired 220) with multiple carports. Book your showing today and get your chance to live the good life on the lake!

4487 Wheeler Rd - Open House

2010-05-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

OPEN HOUSE - SUNDAY MAY 23 FROM 1-2:30PM

Home is where the heart is and you'll find it in this wonderful family home! 4 bedrooms and den provide adequate space for your growing family. The main bathroom has a skylight which floods the room with natural light. A second full bathroom in the basement plus a 3 piece ensuite in the Master. White cupboards with lots of counter space in the kitchen, and the eating area has sliding glass doors to the large sundeck. The yard is fenced and nicely landscaped with an OSBE into the home. The home is in a nice family neighbourhood plus has a double garage.

$284,900
MLS# N201111

Open House 4043 Estavilla

2010-05-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 2 1 2:30 - 2:30pm
and
Sunday May 9 12:30 - 2:30pm

A very clean open plan double wide home on 0.21 acres close to shopping and amenities is awaiting a new owner. The large bright living room features a gas fireplace and nice laminate flooring. The spacious master bedroom has an ensuite door to the large main bathroom with jacuzzi tub, and a second bedroom also features a 2 pce ensuite. Lots of closet and storage space in this home. The open kitchen features newer flooring. Yard features RV parking, a 14x18 shed with power, and garden shed to store all your tools for the landscaped yard featuring many plants and apple trees.

$178,888
MLS# N199593

Economic Update - March 2010

2010-04-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

Although the Oil and Gas sector in British Columbia currently makes up a relatively small portion of provincial employment and GDP,1 this sector holds much promise for the BC economy.

It is well-known that BC is resource rich and that its resources generate significant economic wealth, but it may be less well-known that BC is Canada’s second largest natural gas producer and fourth largest crude oil producer. Abundant natural gas reserves and petroleum resource potential create extensive opportunities to increase BC’s energy production.

Although most of BC's oil and gas activity is in the Northeast, there is significant resource potential in the Interior of the province. Current interest is focused on coalbed gas in the Bowser Basin and conventional natural gas and petroleum targets in the southern Nechako Basin. Located in close proximity to these resources, companies in Prince George will be key suppliers to projects established in these areas.

The natural gas and petroleum industries in BC are supported by a strong ancillary sector providing an increasing array of goods and services that support drilling and completion services, facilities and infrastructure construction and other activities such as seismic imaging and analysis, wireline services, artificial lift and stimulation services and environmental services. This service sector is well equipped to support continued growth in oil and gas activity in the province.

While BC has implemented regulations that set high standards for environmental management and social responsibility, there is a strong commitment to fiscal competitiveness that encourages exploration and development; the provincial government continues to improve the tax regime and implement royalty programs that encourage growth in the Oil and Gas industry.

The Province has cut the BC corporate income tax rate from 16.5% in 2001 to 10.5% in 2010, has eliminated the corporate capital tax and will implement a new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) effective July 1, 2010 which will provide significant benefits to export industries by further reducing operating and capital costs. As well, the Province’s royalty programs offer credits for up to 50% of the cost of constructing roads, pipelines or associated facilities. These programs are intended to improve year-round access to key regions, increase the competitiveness of BC’s resources and encourage the construction of new infrastructure.

Pipeline projects, under the Infrastructure Royalty Credit Program, have opened new areas to development and have helped align operating costs in BC with competing jurisdictions. Since 2004, over $435 million in royalty credits have resulted in 64 new road-based projects and 70 new pipeline projects.

Continued infrastructure investment will enhance the economic contribution of the Oil and Gas industry to the provincial economy. In the midst of the economic downturn, Spectra Energy is making $1.5B of infrastructure investments in Northern BC between 2009 and 2011.

During the construction period, Spectra’s infrastructure development will employ hundreds of workers, with special attention paid to providing opportunities for local contractors to work on the projects.

Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline is a $4.5B investment with the potential to create thousands of jobs over the construction period, and contribute to both the tax base of the province and the economic diversification of Northern BC.

Given strong government support for growth in the Oil and Gas sector and the significant resource potential in Northern BC, Prince George is positioned to benefit from the economic impacts of energy resource opportunities in BC in the years to come.

Economic Statistics

Employment
Employment in Prince George was on the rise for the third consecutive month in February, increasing by 1,400 persons (3.3%); employment also rose slightly in BC and across Canada (0.4% and 0.1%, respectively). The increase in employment coincided with a 1,300 person (2.7%) increase in the labour force, leading the number of unemployed persons to decline by 100 (1.6%) and the unemployment rate to decrease 0.6% to 12.3%. Comparatively, the provincial and national labour forces were relatively unchanged, and the number of unemployed persons decreased by 4.3%, and 0.8%, respectively. As a result, BC’s unemployment rate declined by 0.4% (to 7.7%) and Canada’s rate declined by 0.1% (to 8.2%). PG’s employment rate increased 2.1% (to 64.0%) in February, while the rate increased by 0.2% in BC and was unchanged in Canada.
(Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey)

Real Estate
52 single family homes were sold in Prince George in February, with an average price of $247,318 (0.4% lower than the previous month, but 4.8% higher than the same month last year). Year-to-date, average prices were up 7.1% compared to the first two months of 2009 and unit sales were similar, with only 1 less home sold in 2010. Comparatively, year-to-date average prices were up 18.0% provincially and 18.9% nationally over the same period in 2009; unit sales were up 83.3% and 49.6%, respectively, reflecting the extremely low sales activity that occurred at the beginning of 2009.
(Source: BC Northern Real Estate Board; Canadian Real Estate Association)

Housing construction
There were 6 housing starts in Prince George in February (all single family units), 4 more than in the same month last year. Year-to-date, starts were up 66.7% over the same period last year. Comparatively, year-to-date starts were up 104.5% and 58.6%, respectively, in BC and Canada, compared to the first two months of last year. There were 11 residential units completed in the city in February (all single family units), 27 fewer than in the same month in 2009, and there were 172 housing units under construction (129 single family and 43 multiple dwelling units); 41.7% fewer than in February 2009.
(Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Building Permits
The City of Prince George issued 31 building permits valued at $10.5 million in February. The value of permits issued was up 7.3% compared to the same month last year. Institutional building permits accounted for 68.7% of the total value of permits issued last month, boosted by the $7M permit for the foundation for the Cancer Centre for the North parkade. Residential permits made up 21.8% of the value of permits for the month, and Commercial permits made up most of the remainder. The value of total permits issued in the city was up 21.8%, year-to-date, compared to the first two months of 2009. Comparatively, permits were up 107.6% provincially and 32.7% nationally in January.
(Source: City of Prince George; Statistics Canada)

Business Licenses
The City of Prince George issued 61 new business licenses and 242 business license renewals in February. Year-to-date, new licenses were down 40.7% while renewals were up 26.3% over the same period last year. The total number of business licenses issued year-to-date was up 21.5% compared to the same period in 2009.
(Source: City of Prince George)

Airport Passenger Volumes
59,080 passengers passed through the Prince George airport in January and February. Year-to-date traffic was down 3.4% compared to the first two months of last year. Comparatively, traffic through the Vancouver airport was down 1.9% in January, compared to the same month in 2009.
(Source: Prince George Airport Authority; Vancouver Airport Authority)

1. The mining, oil and gas sector is estimated to have made up only 3% of BC’s GDP and less than 1% of employment in 2008, compared to 18% of the economy and 7% of employment in Alberta (Statistics Canada).

From: Initiatives Prince George

3895 Overland Rd - MLS# N199295

2010-04-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a private country home, then this may be it! The 3 bedroom home on 5.43 acres has lots of updates - flooring, windows, siding and roof. The master bedroom has a wonderful ensuite with skylight and loads of closet space. An OSBE makes it easy to bring in wood for the electric & wood furnace plus the wood stove in the family rm. The natural gas line is close by if you want to install gas in the future. Lots of room for animals and you can put toys/tools in the many outbuildings.

$249,900

4043 Estavilla - MLS# N199593

2010-04-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

A very clean open plan double wide home on 0.21 acres close to shopping and amenities is awaiting a new owner. The large bright living room features a gas fireplace and nice laminate flooring. The spacious master bedroom has an ensuite door to the large main bathroom with jacuzzi tub, and a second bedroom also features a 2 pce ensuite. Lots of closet and storage space in this home. The open kitchen features newer flooring. Yard features RV parking, a 14x18 shed with power, and garden shed to store all your tools for the landscaped yard featuring many plants and apple trees.

$178,888
Call me for your viewing today! 250-981-5580

Testimonial

2010-04-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

Thank you Janet and Marius for your nice testimonial:

"Our experience with Uta Marshall has been nothing but positive. She is a consummate professional, very knowledgeable and has that rare ability to immediately create a real rapport and engender trust. We felt like we had known her all our lives. It certainly makes the stresses of real estate transactions easier when you know you have someone like Uta on your side. "

Waterfront on West Lake with 14 acres!

2010-03-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

7450 Gilliard Rd
MLS# N199071
$399,900

A very private and unique waterfront home on West Lake with almost 14 acres is waiting for you. There is lots of potential in this charming yet rustic home with an open and airy plan. Two stories with a walk out basement. A wrap around sundeck gives you the opportunity to enjoy the lake views no matter what the weather. The main floor is wheelchair accessible and a covered walkway leads to the 10x14 heated guest cabin. Lots of storage in the 24x32 detached garage (wired 220) with multiple carports. Book your showing today and get your chance to live the good life on the lake! Buyer to verify all measurements if important.

February Building Permits Up

2010-03-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

Prince George, B.C.- Building permits are showing a positive gain in Prince George over the same month in 2009.

There were nearly twice as many building permits issued last month (31) as there were in February of 2009 when just 16 permits were issued. Despite the difference in numbers, the overall value of permits is only slightly higher than in February of ’09 with $10.5 million dollars worth of permits issued last month compared to $9.8 million dollars worth in the same month a year ago.

The bulk of the value can be credited to the foundation for the parkade for the new Cancer Centre. With a value of $7 million, had that single item not been on the list, the monthly value of permits would have been held to just under $4 million.

Here are some of the other highlights:
• 325 Brunswick Street, Tenant Improvements, Northern Health Authority, $273,000.
• #156 3055 Massey Drive, Tenant Improvements, The Children’s Place, $231,651.
• 280 Victoria Street, modifications to existing air conditioning unit, Oxford Building, $231,777.
• 7754 Lemoyne Place, Water Lifting Station for Residential Development, Fortwood Homes, $250,000.
• 8 Single Family Dwellings, $1,901,580.

By 250 News

Economic Activity - February 2010

2010-03-03T16:15:00.000-08:00

BC Stats has released the results of its 2009 BC Wage and Salary Survey, produced in partnership with the BC Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development (ALMD). Conducted by Statistics Canada, the survey collected information on wages, hours of work, and skills shortages for the most common occupations across BC.

Establishments having 10 or more employees were selected for the survey, which was designed to target the most common jobs in each of BC’s Development Regions1. In total, the survey provides information on the 97 most common occupations in BC, and the 30 most common occupations in the Cariboo Development Region.

Average hourly wages in the region’s most common occupations ranged from $11.55 to $31.69 for full-time employment. The majority of the occupations surveyed were either Trades, Transport & Equipment Operators & Related Occupations; Business, Finance & Administrative Occupations; or Sales & Service Occupations. Jobs related to logging operations and wood processing were also surveyed.

Typically, full-time Trades, Transport & Equipment Operators & Related Occupations paid more in the region than in the province as a whole over the survey period, with the notable exception of mechanical occupations. Full-time Automotive Service Technicians, Truck & Bus Mechanics & Mechanical Repairers in the region tended to earn 15.3% less than their counter-parts elsewhere in the province; the region’s Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics earned 4.0% less.

Similar wage variations existed in the other major occupational categories surveyed; some full-time Business, Finance & Administrative Occupations tended to pay less in the region, although General Office Clerks, Secretaries and
Financial Auditors & Accountants were paid slightly more in the region than in BC as a whole.

Sales & Service Occupations were generally paid about the same in the region and across the province, with the exception of Janitors, Caretakers and Building Superintendents, who were paid about 13.0% less in the region, and Food and Beverage Servers who were paid approximately 30.0% more than their provincial counterparts.2

In the forest industry, occupations related to harvesting in the region tended to pay about 10.7% less than in the province as a whole, while occupations in processing paid slightly more (2.3%) than the provincial average. Although Labourers in Wood, Pulp and Paper Processing earned more in the region, the difference was not significant.

There are certain sectors in which full-time occupations pay more in the region than in the province. However, a variety of occupations pay a relatively lower wage, enhancing the competitiveness of businesses operating in the region. This is also true for Prince George. Although the city has historically had a higher average labour force income than the province as a whole, other data indicate that with growth in the city’s annual income mirroring growth rates in the province over the last five years, there is a trend toward equalization of wages in Prince George and BC as well. The equalization of labour costs complements the many other advantages of the city to improve Prince George’s competitive position.

Employment
Employment was on the rise for the second consecutive month in Prince George, increasing by 700 persons (1.7%) in January; employment also rose slightly in BC and across Canada (0.5% and 0.3%, respectively). The increase in employment coincided with a 400 person (0.8%) increase in the labour force; subsequently, the number of unemployed persons declined by 300 (4.6%) and the unemployment rate decreased 0.7% to 12.9%. Comparatively, the provincial labour force grew by 0.3% and the number of unemployed persons decreased by 1.7%, resulting in a 0.2% decline in the rate of unemployment (to 8.1%). The national labour force increased 0.1% and the unemployed declined by 1.5%, leading the unemployment rate to decline 0.1% (to 8.3%). The city’s employment rate increased 0.9% (to 61.9%) in January; rates increased by 0.2% and 0.1% in BC and Canada, respectively.
(Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey)

Real Estate
38 single family homes were sold in Prince George in January, with an average price of $248,395 (1.1% lower than the previous month, but 11.3% higher than the same month last year); unit sales were up 11.8% over January 2009. Comparatively, average prices were up 19.0% provincially and 19.6% nationally over the same month in 2009; unit sales were up 118.4% and 58.3%, respectively.
(Source: BC Northern Real Estate Board; Canadian Real Estate Association)

Housing construction
There were 4 housing starts in Prince George in January (all single family units), the same number of starts as the same month last year. Comparatively, starts were up significantly in BC and Canada, up 84.5% and 39.7%, respectively, compared to January 2009. There were 4 residential units completed in the city in January (all single family units), 10 fewer than in the same month in 2009, and there were 177 housing units under construction (134 single family and 43 multiple dwelling units); 44.1% fewer than in January 2009.
(Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Building Permits
The City of Prince George issued 31 building permits valued at $2.8 million in January. The value of permits issued was up 145.6% compared to the same month last year, largely due to significantly higher Commercial permits than in January 2009 (118.0% higher), although Residential permits were also up (68.4%). Renovation permits for Le Chateau in the Pine Centre Mall and Shoppers Drug Mart in the Spruceland Mall made up 67.5% of Commercial permits issued last month. Commercial permits accounted for the majority (57.6%) of the value of total permits issued in January, followed by Residential and Institutional permits, which accounted for 23.8% and 16.2%, respectively. Comparatively, permits were up 147.4% provincially and 32.6% nationally in December. For the whole of 2009, permits were down 28.0% in BC and 13.9% in Canada.
(Source: City of Prince George; Statistics Canada)

Business Licenses
The City of Prince George issued 13 new business licenses and 52 business license renewals in December. Year-to-date, new licenses were down 3.0% while renewals were up 27.0% over the same period last year. The total number of business licenses issued for the year was up 23.0% compared to 2008.
(Source: City of Prince George)

Airport Passenger Volumes
34,014 passengers passed through the Prince George airport in December (17,171 inbound and 16,843 outbound); monthly traffic was up 1.7% compared to the same month last year. For the year, passenger traffic was down 9.9%. Comparatively, traffic through the Vancouver airport was down 9.4% for the whole of 2009.
(Source: Prince George Airport Authority; Vancouver Airport Authority)

1 Common occupations are those that employed the largest number of persons at the time of the 2006 Census.
2 For this occupation, the data is considered less reliable and should be used with caution.

From Initiatives Prince George

1549 Oak Street

2010-02-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

MLS #N197716
$174,900

Don't let the address fool you! This nice home is located in an established neighbourhood at the base of Connaught Hill. The 3 bedroom single level home is perfect for a young family or someone wanting to downsize. Only 1.5 blocks from theelementary school and a few minutes walk to downtown offices and shopping. A covered carport, main floor laundry and fenced yard add to its appeal. Buyer to verify measurements if important.

2009 MLS Activity

2010-01-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

The REALTOR® members of the BC Northern Real Estate Board (BCNREB) reported 4,129
property sales worth $848.33 million in 2009 through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), down from last year’s 4,755 sales worth $980.99 million.

President Gary Shannon comments “In reviewing the statistics for 2009, sales values are down slightly in all areas of the BC Northern Real Estate Board compared with 2008. 2009 had a slow start through January, February and March. Activity increased in April but really started to show improvement by mid-May. Since then, sales have been stronger throughout the BC Northern Real Estate Board area, with more sales reported in the fourth quarter of this year than 2008’s last quarter.

1 Source: BC Northern Real Estate Board

In the City of Prince George 1,211 properties worth $266.29 million sold in 2009, down from 1,270 properties worth $272.61 million in 2008. At year end there were 427 properties of all types available through MLS® in the City compared to 582 properties at the end of 2008.
(2008 numbers appear in brackets)

In the area west of the by-pass, half of the 246 (272) single family homes that sold, sold for less than $204,500 ($213,000). As well, 18 apartment units (18) and 29 townhouses (34) changed hands in 2009. As of December 31 there were 33 single family homes listed through MLS® in this area of the City, compared to 69 at the same time last year.

East of the by-pass 9 apartment units (19) and 14 townhouses (33) sold in 2009. The 148 single family homes (60) sold had a median value of $172,000 ($179,000). At the end of December there were 48 single family homes available for sale through MLS® compared with 54 at the end of 2008.

In the northern part of the city, commonly referred to as ‘the Hart’, 7 townhouses (6), 41 homes on acreage (22), 30 manufactured homes in parks (33) and 54 manufactured homes on land (44) sold in 2009. Of the 195 single family homes (168) that sold, half sold for less than $245,000 ($270,000). As of December 31st there were 37 single family homes available for sale through MLS® in the area, down from 72 as of year end 2008.

In the southwest sector 9 half duplexes (8), 14 townhouses (14), 6 homes on acreage (5), and 15 manufactured homes in parks (12) changed hands last year. Half of the 228 single family homes sold in 2009 (245), sold for less than 269,900 ($275,000). At the end of December there were 41 single family homes available for sale through MLS® in this area of the City, down from 81 at the end of 2008.

President Shannon is optimistic about 2010. “The year 2010 has already started with a flurry of business in our Board area, as first time buyers and investors from other areas are still very active. There are a number of initiatives that will help to ensure continued growth in Northern BC such as oil and gas, mining, Prince Rupert port expansion, the pipe line and many more, but we feel the real estate market in the North will continue to be strong throughout the winter and spring due to our lower prices and historically low interest rates.”

Prince George Promo Video

2009-12-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

Price Reduction on 7240 Sutley Road

2009-12-01T15:58:00.000-08:00

MLS# N195839

New price $209,900!

141 - 101 Tabor Blvd MLS # N196470

2009-12-01T14:42:00.000-08:00

This airy and bright renovated townhouse is waiting for you to move in. The 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms are perfect for someone just starting out or downsizing. A unique floor plan features a dining room which overlooks the living room, a large kitchen, and a private deck off one of the bedrooms. New paint, flooring, light fixtures, door trim, counter tops, and bathrooms.

$149,900

October Home Sales Highest in Six Years

2009-11-30T13:30:00.000-08:00

Vancouver, BC – November 17, 2009.

The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales in the province climbed 115 per cent to 8,624 units in October compared to the same month last year. Last month posted the highest number of MLS® residential sales for the month of October since 2003, when 8,682 units changed hands. The average MLS® residential sales price in the province climbed 17 per cent to $493,328 from $420,259 in October 2008.

“BC homes sales continued on an upward trend in October,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “Despite a lackluster economy, low mortgage interest rates have induced many potential buyers into the market. However, the recent phenomenal pace of home sales is expected to moderate in the coming months as pent-up demand dissipates and eroding affordability begins to impact the purchasing power of households.”

Year-to-date, MLS® residential sales dollar volume increased 14 per cent to $33.3 billion over the same period last year. A total of 72,146 units were sold in the first ten months of 2009, up 13 per cent from 2008, while the average MLS® price was up 1 per cent to $461,694.

Prince George Realtor Interview

2009-11-29T19:11:00.000-08:00

Uta Marshall leverages technology to help her listings sell more quickly, broadcast them to a wider market, and to give her clients better customer service.

Average home sale price rises $7,747

2009-11-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

Homes in northern B.C. sold for an average $216,928 in October, according to statistics from the B.C. Real Estate Assocation, a $7,747 jump from the month before.
However, the number of sales declined to 362 from 394 in September and the dollar-volume declined to $78.5 million from $82.4 million.
The sales to active listing ratio, meanwhile, rose to 15.1 per cent from 14.3 per cent.

As a rule of thumb home prices are typically pulled downward when the ratio is below 10 per cent and pushed upward when 25 per cent and tend to exhibit little upward or downward pressure when the SALR is between 15 and 20 per cent.

Year to date, 3,128 homes have been sold for an average $211,408, adding up to a dollar-volume of $661.3 million. By the same point last year, 3,721 homes were sold for an average $215,724 for a dollar-volume of $802.7 million.
The numbers are for a region that stretches from 100 Mile House to the Yukon border with the exception of the area covered by the Northern Lights Real Estate Board in northern B.C.

For Prince George specifically, 641 homes had been sold for an average $232,123 by the end of September, adding up to $148.8 million, compared to 866 homes for an average $239,392 adding up to $207.3 million by the same point last year.

Prince George Citizen

Centaur Villa Condo

2009-11-23T15:07:00.000-08:00

#312 - 3033 Ospika Blvd
MLS # N196602
$147,000

Very nice 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in Centuar Villa. The modern colour scheme compliments the unique floor plan, which also features a fireplace and insuite laundry. The unit is on the quite side of the building and the balcony offers a view of Cranbrook hill. Secure building and a covered parking space. Close to all amenities, UNBC and CNC.

3755 Alderwood Court $154,900

2009-11-16T17:25:00.000-08:00

MLS# N196164

You'll be surprised and impressed with this lovely 3 bdrm older mobile. The home is bright, clean and very well cared for and features newer flooring, roof and deck.

As a bonus the property also features a huge 960 sf metal clad shop with 10 ft doors which is insulated, wired and heated. The lot is very private yet only a few minutes drive from downtown.

Economic Activity - September 2009

2009-10-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

In the current economic climate, government investment is making an increasingly important contribution to economic activity in Northern BC. Publicly-funded capital projects are creating jobs in the construction sector, at the same time helping communities meet infrastructure needs that will enable them to emerge from the economic downturn stronger and more competitive.

Transportation projects represent a large portion of the public investments being made in the region. The BC Ministry of Transportation is investing more than $210M in the northern region this year, including projects on local road networks and along Hwy 97 and Hwy 16. The value of transportation and infrastructure projects currently being undertaken in the Prince George area totals $64M, with a number of significant projects upcoming.

Strategic infrastructure investments in the region will enhance Prince George’s
competitiveness over the long term, and support continued economic development
initiatives already underway.

Through recently announced funding for the Boundary Road Connector pursued by the City of Prince George under the Build Canada Fund, the federal and provincial governments have each committed $7.5M to the $28M project that will be critical for the development of lands to the west of the main runway at the Prince George Airport. The project will advance Prince George’s goal of becoming an integrated and sustainable manufacturing, transportation, supply and service center, and the inland gateway to Asia and North America. The balance of the Boundary Road project costs will come from municipal and private contributions.

The Cariboo Connector project, ongoing since 2005, is another significant transportation investment that has been accelerated in response to federal funding programs. Including the completion of work on the Simon Fraser bridge, more than $110M will be spent on the Cariboo Connector project in 2009. In addition to Phase 1 of the project which saw $200M in priority projects completed, $240M in projects have been approved to proceed.

In addition to significant transportation investments in the North, the federal government has committed $130M toward ensuring that the Northwest Transmission Line (NTL) is built along Hwy 37, providing remote communities in Northwest BC with more sustainable,reliable and affordable energy. The balance of funds required to complete the $404M project are anticipated to be provided by the Government of BC and private sector interests.

The NTL will stimulate significant economic activity upon its completion. It has the potential to generate billions of dollars in capital investment, create thousands of new jobs and open economic opportunities in Northwest BC related to new mining developments and the Prince Rupert Container Terminal.

Prince George will benefit greatly from new supply and service opportunities that will be created for local companies as a result of these major regional infrastructure projects, both in the construction phases and from the longterm economic activity they will promote through stimulating new industrial and resource developments.

The city has also benefited from significant public investment in community projects. Current and upcoming projects like Veteran’s Plaza, Phase 2 of the Gateway Retirement Community, the potential construction of a new RCMP building, and the Cancer Centre for the North will continue to provide stimulus to the construction sector moving forward, and will enhance quality of life through the amenities that the city has to offer.

Economic Statistics

Employment
The number of persons employed in Prince George declined by 500 (1.1%) in August, compared to the previous month. As the decline in employment coincided with a 600 person decline in the labour force, the number of unemployed persons decreased by 100 (1.7%) and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 12.0%. Comparatively, employment increased 0.4% provincially and 0.2% nationally, month-over-month. In BC and Canada, the labour force grew by 0.5% and 0.3%, and the number of unemployed persons increased by 1.3% and 1.4%, respectively. Consequently, unemployment rates remained unchanged (at 7.8%) provincially and increased 0.1% (to 8.7%) nationally. The city’s employment rate decreased 0.7% (to 64.3%); rates increased by 0.1% in BC and were unchanged in Canada.
(Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey)

Real Estate
In August, 80 single family homes were sold in Prince George, with an average price of $230,541 (only 0.6% lower than the previous month, and 3.6% lower than the same month last year). At the end of August, the year-to-date average price for a single family home was $231,256, 5.1% lower than the same period in 2008; year-to-date unit sales were down 8.8%. Comparatively, year-to-date average prices were down 2.2% in BC and up 0.5% in Canada; unit sales were up 0.6% and down 3.6%, respectively, over the same period last year. Overall, the provincial and national housing markets appear to be in recovery; year-over-year average prices were up 11.7% and 11.3%, respectively, in August. The Canadian Real Estate Association predicts that as average prices dropped sharply over the second half of 2008 and have rebounded since then, year-over-year comparisons are likely to show continued improvement over the rest of 2009.
(Source: BC Northern Real Estate Board; Canadian Real Estate Association)

Housing construction
There were 36 housing starts in Prince George in August (22 single family and 14 multiple dwelling units), up from 15 starts in August 2008. Year-to-date, starts are down 36.1% over last year. In BC and Canada, housing starts continued to be down quite significantly compared to last year, down 38.5% and 27.5% in August, respectively; year-to-date starts are down 65.1% and 41.4%, respectively. There were 19 residential units completed in the city in August, a significant increase over the single unit completed in the same month last year, and there were 259 housing units under construction (184 single family and 75 multiple dwelling units); 57 fewer than in August 2008.
(Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Building Permits
The City of Prince George issued 62 building permits valued at $7.1 million in August, down 24.8% compared to the same month last year. Year-to-date, permit values were down 31.8% at the end of August compared to the first eight months of 2008. Commercial permits accounted for the majority (51.2%) of the value of total permits issued last month; Residential and Industrial permits accounted for 35.2% and 13.6%, respectively. Comparatively, year-over year permit values were down 30.5% provincially and 28.8% nationally, in July; year-to-date permits were down 46.7% and 26.3%, respectively, at the end of July.
(Source: City of Prince George; Statistics Canada)

Business Licenses
The City of Prince George issued 33 new business licenses in August, 7 more than in the same month last year. There were 7 renewals of existing licenses last month (the same as in August 2008), and year to-date renewals were up 9.0% over the same period last year. The total number of business licenses issued year-to-date is up 10.7% compared to the first eight months of 2008.
(Source: City of Prince George)

Airport Passenger Volumes
29,843 passengers passed through the Prince George airport in August (14,996 inbound and 14,847 outbound), 5.3% fewer than in August 2008. Year-to-date, traffic through the airport has slowed by 13.3%. Comparatively, traffic through the Vancouver airport was down 11.9%, year-to-date, as of the end of July.
(Source: Prince George Airport Authority; Vancouver Airport Authority)

From: Initiative Prince George www.initiativepg.com

One Acre Building Lot in Haldi

2009-10-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

MLS# N196021
9687 Birchill Crescent
$54,900

Desirable Haldi! This 1 acre lot is waiting for a new home! The driveway is in and the land has been professionally sloped for drainage. Nonviable trees have been removed and 300 new trees planted. The posts and a partial fence are already in. Design your home to capture the morning sun on this gently sloping property!

Canada a tale of two economies: as export sector staggers, domestic activity booms

2009-10-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

By Julian Beltrame OTTAWA

Two reports Thursday reinforced recent trends that show a strong domestic Canadian economy propped up by floor-low interest rates and a recovering housing market, and a weak manufacturing sector hammered by the sky-high dollar and a squeeze on exports.
“What it’s telling us is that low interest rates are working in Canada,” said CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld. “We’ve had a number of disappointments on the export front. Where Canada is showing vigour, it’s on the domestic front in response to low interest rates.”
The most recent evidence is the outsized growth in house sales during the third quarter — given the still-weak overall economy.
The Canadian Real Estate Association reported that in real terms, sales of existing homes in the country have never been stronger than in the just-completed third quarter. The association said more than 135,000 units were sold in the July-to-September period — 18 per cent higher than the corresponding period last year before the recession hit.
Meanwhile, Statistics Canada figures released early Thursday showed factory shipments fell 2.1 per cent in August as the activity from the U.S. cash-for-clunkers program, which had artificially spurred auto sales in the United States, subsided.
As well, there are few signs of recovery ahead for the battered manufacturing sector as new orders have practically stagnated and unfilled orders fell 4.2 per cent.
“The fact remains that Canada’s manufacturing sector remains under duress,” said TD Bank economist Grant Bishop, noting the new challenge of a dollar that many expect to regain parity with the U.S. greenback by year’s end.
A perhaps even bigger barrier to a recovery in Canada’s export sector, which accounts for about one-third of the economy, is that consumer demand in the U.S. for what Canada has to sell — cars, parts, lumber and consumer items — isn’t about to pick up any time soon.
A new Conference Board of Canada forecast of the U.S. economy estimated that consumer spending will remain in the dumps throughout 2010, rising only about one per cent from already abysmal levels.
The problem faced by the Bank of Canada is that hinting it may raise rates sooner than next summer, when its conditional pledge to keep the policy rate at 0.25 per cent runs out, will only add fuel to the loonie’s flight and further harm exports and manufacturers. Suggesting that rates will remain as low as they are for a long time feeds into a housing asset bubble and risks inflation.
“The decisive rebound (in home sales) puts the Bank of Canada in a quandary — while the hot housing market cries out for rate hikes, the runaway loonie screams ‘No!’ ” is the way Doug Porter, deputy chief economist with BMO Capital Markets, puts it.
The big banks recently raised mortgage rates by up to a third of a point on many loans, a move that could slow down demand in some markets. However, mortgage rates are still extremely low by historic standards. The Canadian Press

OPEN HOUSE - 7240 Sutley Road

2009-10-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

OPEN HOUSE - Sunday, October 18 1-3pm
$214,900

Come view this wonderful 3 bed/2 bath family home on 5 acres. Lots of updates and phenomenal value here!

442 Koala Place - MLS# N195927

2009-10-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

Looking for an affordable home? Check out this 3 bedroom/2 bath newer mobile on 0.26 acres on a cul-de-sac in Bear Lake. This home has been well maintained and features a 3 pc ensuite, a full sundeck that is piped for a natural gas BBQ and 6x10 shed.

Only $67,900

7240 Sutley Road - MLS# N195839

2009-10-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

$214,900

A bright and spacious 3 bedroom/2 bath home for your family situated on 5 acres only a few minutes from town. This home has been lovingly maintained and has many updates including paint, carpet, light fixtures, dishwasher, roof and siding. A gas fireplace makes the family room a cozy place to gather, and later you can relax in the jacuzzi soaker tub in the main bath. The beautiful landscaping enhances the charm of this house which even features its own natural pond. The back property is cleared and can be used for your hobby farm activities. This home is exceptionally clean and in move in condition

This property also has a wired single garage and a wired storage shed.

BC MLS Sales Graph

2009-10-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

Real estate numbers on upswing

2009-10-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

A total of 242 single-family homes were sold in Prince George for an average $233,186 over the last three months, a look at numbers from the B.C. Northern Real Estate Board are showing.
Although down from where the market stood a year ago, the figures show sale prices are on the upswing in Prince George. after the average price stood at $230,109 during the second quarter of this year.
BCNREB president Gary Shannon is optimistic about what's in store for the coming months.
“The fall market will continue to be strong and I don’t see any major changes in our average house prices," he said in a statement.
"It is still a buyer’s market and there will never be a better time to buy, due to lower prices and great interest rates.
“I believe we’ll have a strong spring market and could see an increase in demand prior to the HST coming into effect on July 1, 2010.”
The third quarter numbers add up to $56.4 million worth of sales compared to $73.7 million over the same period last year. The market hit bottom during the first quarter of this year when there were just $35.3 million in sales of single family homes.
Year-to-date, sales of single-family homes now stand at 641 units going for an average $232,123, according to BCNREB numbers released Thursday, adding up to $149 million.
That's down from $173 million by the same point last year, based on 715 sales and $242,304 and by the same point in 2007, 866 homes were sold for an average $239,392, adding up to $207 million.
Overall, 934 properties worth $204.8 million exchanged hands by the end of September, down from 1,047 properties worth $225.9 million by the same point last year.
In the western part of the city, the median price of the 188 single family homes that have sold was $202,000 compared to $214,000 in 2008.
East of the Bypass, the 122 single family homes that sold had a median price of
$173,500, compared to $179,000 in 2008.
In the Hart, the 150 single family homes sold so far this year had median price of $243,500 compared to $275,000 in 2008.
In the southwest, 173 single family homes sold had a median price of $262,200 compared to $282,000 in 2008.

Written by Mark Nielsen
Citizen staff
Friday, 02 October 2009

9191 HOLDNER RD - MLS# N195532

2009-09-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

$285,000

Beautiful custom built Swiss chalet style home in private setting only 15 minutes from downtown. This four bdrm home has modern features with country class. Jetted tub, solarium, BI vacuum, water softener & reverse osmosis water system. The 0.59 acre private yard features lawn, gardens, fish pond, and backs onto greenbelt. Finished wired shed (not insulated) with covered deck would make a perfect artist studio. Separate 2 car garage has 8' doors. This home has been immaculately cared for, and is close to elementary school. You're looking for privacy in the city, this wonderful clean home is a do not miss. As an extra all appliances, spa, snowblower and lawnmower are included.

Team Powerhouse Realty - Bath Tub Race Winners!

2009-09-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

Bartle & Gibson hosted the second annual bathtub races as a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. There were 14 teams that participated and more than $3,000 raised. Team Powerhouse was the winner over Home Central Builders.

Testimonial

2009-09-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

I received a lovely testimonial in the mail yesterday....

We write to express our sincerest appreciation for all the effort that Uta put into the selling of our home.

She was more then diligent in her efforts during a VERY depressed market. We were extremely pleased with how we were kept infomred on a weekly basis of any activity on the listing.

We feel that she went above and beyond to follow up on the all possible leads and to advertise to the fullest possible degree.

We have only good things to say about our dealing with her and whenever anyone asks for the name of a Realtor we instantly and enthusiastically recommend Uta Marshall from Team Powerhouse Realty.

Sanna and Lorne

Economic Activity - August 2009

2009-09-03T16:46:00.000-07:00

The Construction sector is a major contributor to the Prince George economy, accounting for 7.4% of total employment and 12.8% of total firms.1 Construction activity tends to reflect trends in overall business activity, and as it impacts the demand for goods and services produced by other sectors, is a key indicator of the overall health of the economy.

Building permits are the most commonly used predictor of construction activity. Year-to-date, permit values are down 33.0% in the city; Residential and Institutional permits are the main
contributors to the overall decline, down 36.8% and 71.2%, respectively. Commercial permits, however, are up 4.6% compared to the first seven months of last year, reflecting a relatively high level of current and upcoming activity.

Among the major construction projects providing a boost to commercial construction activity in Prince George are renovations and expansions at Walmart, the Ramada Hotel, Rona, Princess Auto and the Pine Centre Mall, and the reconstruction of the B&B Music building. These investments reflect confidence, on the part of businesses, in the economic future of Prince George.

On the residential side, while new construction has slowed considerably compared to recent years, renovation activity has been relatively strong. Permits for renovations and alterations
generally make up a relatively small proportion of the total residential building permits issued, but this proportion has increased in 2009. In the first seven months of 2008, permits forrenovations made up 13.2% of residential permits issued; in 2009, this has increased to 19.2%. This can be largely attributed to the success of tax credit and other incentive programs being offered to consumers for home renovations and efficiency upgrades.

While general and trade contractors in the city continue to be fairly busy with commercial construction and residential renovation projects, companies involved in the supply side of the construction sector are less busy; slowdowns in the forestry and mining sectors have
translated into slower business activity for these types of companies. However, major projects from Terrane Metals and Thompson Creek Metals will provide a boost to the construction sector in the near future.

The Terrane Metals Mt. Milligan project (150 km north-west of Prince George) has received environmental approval from the BC government; pending successful completion of the federal Environmental Assessment process this fall, construction could commence as early as Q2 2010.
Thompson Creek Metals has approved the resumption of its Endako mill expansion project near Fraser Lake; the total capital expenditures for the project are estimated to be $42M in 2009 and $167M in 2010. Project completion is expected in 2011.

Other investments that will provide a boost to construction activity in Prince George and the region include the Conifex sawmill modernization in Fort St. James, construction of the Northwest Wood Preservers pellet plant in Vanderhoof, and the Commonwealth Medical Centre that will be a large part of downtown redevelopment in Prince George. These and other projects have been made possible with the help of funding provided by the Government of Canada and administered through Northern Development Initiative Trust; $20M in repayable funding from the Community Adjustment Fund is spurring a total of $67.8M of capital investment in Northern BC.

Employment
Employment in Prince George was relatively unchanged in July, with the number of employed persons decreasing by 100 (0.2%) from the previous month. Comparatively, employment decreased by 0.3% provincially and nationally, month-over- month. The Prince George labour
force continues to grow; the number of persons either employed or looking for work increased by 300 persons in July. However, as the growth in the labour force did not correspond with an increase in employment, the number of unemployed persons increased (by 400 persons or 7.1%) and the unemployment rate rose by 0.7% (to 12.0%). In BC and Canada, the labour force declined by 0.7% and 0.3%, and the number of unemployed persons decreased by 5.0% and 0.6%, respectively. Consequently, unemployment rates declined 0.3% provincially (to 7.8%) and remained unchanged nationally (at 8.6%). The city’s employment rate decreased 0.3% (to 65.0%); rates declined by 0.3% in BC and 0.2% in Canada.

Real Estate
In July, 93 single family homes were sold in Prince George, with an average price of $231,934. Although the average price was 4.0% higher than the previous month, a clear trend in the resale market has yet to emerge; both unit sales and average home prices continue to fluctuate monthly. At the end of July, the year-todate average price for a single family home was $231,721, just 4.7% lower than the same period in 2008; year-to-date unit sales are down 13.9%. Comparatively, year-to-date average prices are down 3.8% and 0.9%, respectively, in BC and Canada, and unit sales are down 6.3% and 6.2% over the same period last year. Overall, housing market activity appears to be rebounding, with month-over-month unit sales
increasing significantly over the last two months in BC and Canada. While prices in
BC continue to fluctuate, national average prices are trending upward. Housing construction
There were 16 housing starts in Prince George in July, down from 23 starts in July 2008. Housing starts also continue to be down quite significantly in BC and Canada compared to last year, down 63.9% and 30.1%, respectively, last month. There were 35 residential housing
units completed in the city in July, up from 16 in the same month last year, and there were 244 housing units under construction (183 single family dwellings and 61 multiple dwelling units); 58 fewer than in July 2008. At the end of June, the number of residential units under construction in BC and Canada was down 32.0% and 21.9%, respectively, compared to the same month last year.

Building Permits
The City of Prince George issued 72 building permits valued at $5.02 million in July, up 2.2% compared to the same month last year. This was the second consecutive month that permit values were higher than in 2008. Residential permits accounted for 71.9% of the total permits issued; Institutional permits accounted for the remainder of the value of permits issued. Comparatively, year-over- year permit values were down 40.6% provincially and 17.9% nationally, in June. Year-to-date, permit values were down 33.0% compared to the first seven
months of 2008 in Prince George. Year-to- date permits were down 49.2% and 25.8%, respectively, in BC and Canada, at the end of June.

Business Licenses
The City of Prince George issued 48 new business licenses in July, 3 more than in the same month last year. Existing license renewals increased last month (21 compared to 9 in July 2008), and year-to-date renewals were up 8.1% over the same period last year. The total number
of business licenses issued year-to-date is up 9.5% compared to the first seven months of 2008.

Airport Passenger Volumes
28,075 passengers passed through the Prince George airport in July (13,836 inbound and 14,239 outbound), 12.4% fewer than in July 2008. Year-to-date, traffic through the airport has slowed by 14.3%, in line with declines elsewhere. Comparatively, traffic through the Vancouver airport was down 12.0%, year-to-date, as of the end of June.

1. 2008 estimate. Statistics Canada: LabourForce Survey; Business Register.

From Initiatives Prince George

2253 NORWOOD ST - MLS# N194470

2009-09-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

Newly updated 3 bedroom home (half duplex) is perfect for investment or the first time buyer. Lots of updates including new mid efficiency furnace, HWT, doors, lighting, flooring, bathroom & the new windows are waiting for installation. $79,900

Click here to see the virtual tour

Construction value up for second month in a row

2009-08-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

Written by Citizen staff

For the second month in a row, activity on the construction front was busier than during the same period last year, numbers from city hall are showing.In July, 72 permits for $5 million worth of construction were taken out, about $108,500 and nine permits more than over the same month last year. That follows on June when 71 permits for $9.6 million were issued, way up from $5.9 million on 72 permits the year previous.

Looking at new home construction, nine permits for $2.7 million worth were taken out, up from eight permits for $2.3 million last year.Other significant projects included construction of Veteran's Plaza at city hall, worth $837,740 and a new, 372-square-metre freestanding school building at Westside Family Fellowship at 3791 Highway 16 West.

At slightly less than $33 million, the year-to-date total remains behind last year's figure of $49.2 million. Similarly, 33 permits for $8.7 million worth of new homes have been issued so far this year, down from 69 permits for $16.9 million by the same point in 2008.

Three development permits were issued in July:- a commercial and riparian development permits was issued to All Roads RV Ltd. to build a 140-square-metre office building at 2050 Hart Highway.- a riparian development permit was issued to Blackwater Construction Co. Ltd. for a 270-square-metre office trailer at 9653 Anzac Crescent.- a riparian development permit was issued to Keith Fast to install an eight-metre-wide driveway with a culvert crossing at 1312 Blackburn Rd. N.

Open Houses on Sunday, August 23/09

2009-08-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

12:00 - 1:00pm #11 7100 Aldeen Road

Super clean 3 bedroom mobile in desirable Morgan Ridge. This home features vaulted ceilings in livingroom, kitchen and master bedroom. It sports new livingroom carpet and a very open design. Beautiful yard also comes with an 8x10 shed and 4x8 garden shed.

1:30 - 2:30pm 2740 Fairview Cres

Lovely 5 bedroom / 2bath family home with nice private yard. Home has many updates including newer HE furnace, hardwood/tile/lino flooring, roof, sundeck, windows and fencing.

Economic Activity - July 2009

2009-08-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

The Bank of Canada released its quarterly Monetary Policy Report1 this month, providing an updated outlook for the Canadian economy. In a projection that is in line with recent forecasts from a variety of other sources, the Bank expects that economic growth will resume later this year, globally and in Canada.

In the report, the Bank made reference to signs that economic activity has begun to
expand in many countries, citing the vigorous policy actions taken by monetary and fiscal authorities around the world as key factors contributing to the budding recovery. However, while early policy decisions reduced the likelihood of an extreme negative outcome for the global economy, the Bank emphasized that the recovery is still in the emerging stages, and that effective and resolute policy implementation remains critical to sustained economic recovery and future global growth.

According to the Bank’s analysis, the Canadian economy continued to contract in the second quarter of 2009, although the pace of decline moderated, suggesting that a trough has been reached; growth is expected to turn positive in the third quarter. It is projected that the 2.3% contraction in the Canadian economy this year will be followed by growth of 3.0% in 2010 and 3.5% in 2011; comparatively, the global economy is projected to decline by 1.7% this year, then grow 2.3% in 2010 and 3.9% in 2011.

Factors underpinning the projected Canadian recovery include monetary and fiscal stimulus, improvements in global financial conditions, the beginning of the recovery in the global economy, and a strengthening in the terms of trade. While the higher Canadian dollar and the restructuring of key industrial sectors are moderating the pace of overall growth, the Canadian economy is supported by better financial conditions, firmer commodity prices and higher levels of business and consumer confidence than anticipated, which has resulted in the projection for a more immediate return to positive growth.

Early signs of recovery identified in the Bank’s report include the fact that the housing sector appears to be reviving and that financial conditions in Canada have improved in line with recent global developments, and continue to be more favourable than in other advanced economies.

Export volumes are expected to recover over the projection period in response to an improvement in external demand, partly reflecting a rebound in US housing activity as well as higher commodity prices. These factors will be positive for BC and it may be these factors, along
with the Olympics, that have influenced the recent forecast from the Conference Board of Canada that BC will record 3.3% real GDP growth in 2010, the highest rate in Canada. 2 The Conference Board also predicts BC’s retail sales, GDP per capita, disposable income per capita and employment rate to be above the national average in 2010. A strong recovery in BC
will be important to strengthening business and employment conditions in Prince George more rapidly as the global economic recovery continues.

Economic Statistics

Employment
Employment numbers in Prince George improved for the third consecutive month in June, with the number of employed persons increasing by 1,100 (2.6%) from the previous month. Provincially, employment decreased by 0.2% month over month, while the number of
employed persons in Canada remained relatively unchanged. The Prince George labour force continues to grow, increasing by 1,200 persons in June; as the number of unemployed persons remained unchanged, the unemployment rate decreased by 0.3% (to 11.3%). In contrast, the number of unemployed persons in BC and Canada increased by 7.8% and 2.8%, respectively, continuing the trend from last month; unemployment rates rose 0.5% provincially (to 8.1%)
and 0.2% nationally (to 8.6%). The city’s employment rate increased 1.6% (to 65.3%), while rates declined by 0.2% in BC and Canada.

100 single family homes were sold in Prince George, with an average price of $223,085; unit sales are trending upward but average home prices are fluctuating each month, reflecting the variety of types of properties being sold. At the end of June, the year-to-date average price
for a single family home was $231,478, just 4.6% lower than the same period in 2008; year-to-date unit sales are down 14.4%. Comparatively, year-to-date average prices are down 5.3% and 2.5%, respectively, in BC and Canada, and unit sales are down 15.3% and 10.5% over
the same period last year.

Housing construction
There were 23 housing starts in Prince George in June, down from 36 starts in June 2008. Housing starts were also down quite significantly compared to last year in BC and Canada, declining 59.7% and 36.3%, respectively, last month. There were 40 residential housing units
completed in the city in June, up from 27 in the same month last year, and there were 263 housing units under construction (202 single family dwellings and 61 multiple dwelling units); 10.8% fewer than in June 2008.

Building Permits
The City of Prince George issued 71 building permits valued at $9.6 million in June, up 61.3% compared to the same month last year and bringing the year-to date total to $28 million – down 36.6% compared to the same period in 2008. Residential permits, up 161% year-over year,
were the main contributor to strong values in June, accounting for 54.9% of the total permits issued. Institutional permits were also up significantly (118%) compared to the same month last year. Residential and Institutional permits are still the main contributors to the overall
decline in year-to-date permits, down 43.0% and 82.2%, respectively. Commercial permits, however, are up 11.6% compared to the first six months of last year. Comparatively, despite
month-over-month increases in May, permit values were down 57.9% provincially and 24.8% nationally, year over-year. Year-to-date, permits were down 51.2% and 27.9%, respectively.

Business Licenses
The City of Prince George issued 42 new business licenses in June, 5 fewer than in the same month last year. Existing license renewals increased last month (31 compared to 3 in June 2008), and year to-date renewals were up 7.2% over the same period last year. The total number of business licenses issued year-to-date is up 8.6% compared to the first six months
of 2008.

Airport Passenger Volumes
30,999 passengers passed through the Prince George airport in June (15,397 inbound and 15,602 outbound), 10.7% fewer than in June 2008. Year-to-date, traffic through the airport has slowed by 14.6%, in line with declines elsewhere. Comparatively, traffic through the
Vancouver airport was down 11.1%, year-to-date, as of the end of May.

1 http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/mpr/pdf/2009/mpr230709.pdf

2 http://www.gov.bc.ca/keyinitiatives/economic_indicators.html

From: Initiatives Prince George

Ness Lake Open House Extravaganza

2009-08-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below to see a larger version on the invitation

Ness Open House

June building permits exceed last year's totals

2009-07-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

Written by Citizen staff
Tuesday, 28 July 2009

For just the fifth time in a year and a half, the city enjoyed a busier month on the construction front compared to the same period a year previous according to the city's building permit report for June.

In all 71 permits for $9.6 million worth of work were taken out last month, compared to 72 permits for $5.9 million during June 2008. The last time the city enjoyed a better month than the year previous was in February when the value of construction added up to $9.8 million compared to $8.2 million the year before.

December 2009, at $1.4 million versus $1.2 million, September 2008, at $7.8 million versus $6.4 million, and October 2008, at $44.1 million versus $8.7 million ,were also better months than the year previous. But they account for just five of the last 19 months.

The biggest difference last month to the year before was in multiple family as two permits for $2.8 million worth of that work were taken out compared to none in June 2008. Known as West Gables Townhomes, the project, which Fortwood Homes is building, consists of two blocks totaling 28 townhouses at 2823 Ferry Avenue.

Also, seven permits for $1.8 million worth of single-family detached were taken out last month, up from five permits for $1.1 million the year before. And two permits for $1 million worth of new institutional were issued, compared to one for $160,000 worth in June 2008.

Significant projects for which permits were issued included:
- A new office building at Princess Auto at 3300 Massey Drive, worth $400,000;
- A new commerical building at the old B&B Music site at Third and George, worth $860,000;
- A new warehouse at the Rona building supply centre at 4060 Cowart Road, worth $523,000;
- An addition to the College Heights Baptist Church at 5401 Moriarty Crescent, worth $900,000;
- A new Prince George Islamic Centre at 4668-Fifth Ave., worth $860,000;
- A new office building at Memorial Park Cemetery, worth $200,000.